North Korea: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:21, 21 June 2005

Revision as of 21:32, 21 June 2005

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North Korea's society is highly stratified by class, according to a citizen's family and political background.[http://www.brookings.edu/views/testimony/oh20030605.htm] Refugees International,[http://www.refugeesinternational.org/files/5631_file_ActsofBetrayal.pdf] Medicins San Frontieres,[http://217.29.194.251/msfinternational/invoke.cfm?objectid=751B7614-B3D6-11D4-B1FA0060084A6370&component=toolkit.article&method=full_html&CFID=5514940&CFTOKEN=15148554] and Amnesty International[http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engasa240032004] have all accused North Korea of discriminating against those in "hostile" classes in the distribution of basic necessities, including food. In some "closed" areas[http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-01-28-voa54.cfm?renderforprint=1&textonly=1&&TEXTMODE=1&CFID=15682057&CFTOKEN=56096981] that contained a higher concentration of "hostile" class members, the government appears to have prevented the delivery of any significant amounts of food aid at all.

Yet during this same period, North Korea maintained a massive military machine and supported an extravigantextravagant lifestyle for its leader, Kim Jong-Il. [http://www.time.com/time/asia/news/magazine/0,9754,201976,00.html] The World Food Program currently seeks $200 million in emergency food aid for North Korea,[http://www.wfp.org/newsroom/subsections/search.asp?section=13&countryid=408#] an increase from its FY 2004 request of $171 million.[http://www.wfp.org/country_brief/indexcountry.asp?country=408] By comparison, its FY 2002 defense budget was $5.2 billion.[http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/Military]

In 2005, news sources reported that North Korea continued to raise food prices while reducing food rations to the below-subsistence amount of 250 grams per person per day, the equivalent of two medium-sized potatoes.[http://www.command-post.org/nk/2_archives/018642.html#more]