North Korea on Thursday condemned the recently formed “Sages Group”, a North Korean human rights initiative consisting of numerous well known experts.

The group was formed in Seoul on June 27. Its membership includes Michael Kirby, Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in the DPRK, UN Special Rapporteur Marzuki Darusman, South Korean Human Rights Ambassador Lee Jung-Hoon and former President of the International Criminal Court Song Sang-hyun.

But an article in the North’s foreign news service Uriminzokkiri targeted several members of the group with offensive rhetoric and in Kirby’s case, homophobic slurs.

“Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry