WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The United States government said Tuesday that it places a priority on addressing North Korea's human rights abuse.

"The United States remains deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the DPRK (North Korea), including forced labor camps," the State Department said in a press release.

"Promoting human rights is a key component of our policy toward North Korea, and how the DPRK addresses human rights will have a significant impact on the prospects for closer U.S.-DPRK ties."

The department said the U.S. raised human rights issues in a series of high-level talks with the North on ways to restart nuclear talks.

An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 North Koreans are incarcerated in Soviet-style gulags, according to activists.