North Korean citizens visit the statues of their late leaders Kim Il-sung, left, and Kim Jong-il on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong-il, Feb. 16. AP-Yonhap

North Korea has been rated as one of the worst countries in terms of freedom, a recent report by a U.S.-funded freedom watchdog showed Friday.

In an annual Freedom House report titled, "Freedom in the World 2022," the North received a combined freedom score of 3 out of 100 ― zero points for political rights and 3 points for civil liberties.

It ranked only above Turkmenistan at 2 points, and South Sudan and Syria with just 1 point each among 195 countries assessed by the organization.

The report came amid concerns about human rights conditions in the North that has been struggling with economic woes aggravated by global sanctions and pandemic-driven border closures. (Yonhap)