NORTH KOREA

Hotspot Micro-Report

North Koreans have faced food
shortages since 1994, when Kim Jong Il’s government officially limited food
consumption to one-quarter of the basic requirement per person.  The North
Korean government’s hoarding of relief supplies in 1994 for party members and
the military exacerbated famine conditions in areas that were deemed disloyal
or unessential to the government.  Outside sources estimate that at least
two million North Koreans have fallen victim to famine in 1994, dying from
starvation, malnutrition and related diseases.  At a UNICEF conference in
Beijing on May 15, 2001, DPRK foreign minister Choes Su-hon officially reported
that 220,000 people had died of starvation alone from 1995 to 1998.  The
established causes of the food shortage are threefold: (1) a series of natural
disasters, including flooding, drought and massive tidal waves; (2) state-run
economic mismanagement; and (3) loss of preferential trade with the Soviet
Union and, to a lesser extent, China. Because of the difficulty of obtaining
information from sources in North Korea, monitoring the country’s human rights
violations proves problematic.

• Exacerbated famine (CNN, BBC, etc.)

• Killing of babies (Telegraph News)

• Public
  executions (The Sydney Morning Herald)

• Torture (Amnesty International)

1. International Press/Media

2. The UN agencies

3. International Human Rights NGOs

4. International Relief NGOs

The Straits Times

July 20, 2003

“Chef dishes out the dirt on Kim”


http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,200575,00.html

 NEWS4Colorado.com

July 20, 2003

“The Plight Of North Korea”


http://news4colorado.com/nationworld/topstories_story_201191503.html 

Relief Web

July 18, 2003

“WFP Emergency Report No. 29 of 2003 (See the DPR Korea part)”

http://wwww.reliefweb.int/w/Rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/6ad5cf3bca10fcc185256d6700690b38?OpenDocument

Relief Web

July 17, 2003

“Children of North Korea bear the brunt of political tensions”

http://wwww.reliefweb.int/w/Rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/d018c1d47c35418985256d660052cc2a?OpenDocument 

Joongang Ilbo.com

July 4, 2003

“Defector asks, ‘Step up pressure’-Says North was deterred by U.S. force”

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200307/04/200307042254368679900090309031.html

 Taiwan News.com

June 28, 2003

“U.N. claims North Korea not starving”


http://www.etaiwannews.com/Asia/2003/06/28/1056766782.htm

The Star Online

June 27, 2003

“UN food programme says work in North Korea challenging”

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/6/27/latest/12673UNfoodpr&sec=latest

Relief Web

June 24, 2003

“UNICEF Humanitarian Action: DPR Korea Donor Update 24 Jun 2003”

http://wwww.reliefweb.int/w/Rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/334781e572268d63c1256d50004e26fd?OpenDocument 

US News.com

June 23, 2003

“Gulag Nation-Unseen by the outside world, North Korea runs vast prison camps
of unspeakable cruelty”


http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/030623/usnews/23gulag.htm 

Bloomberg.com

June 23, 2003

“North Korean Refugees Face Hardships Making New Life in South”

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000101&sid=aKWAwspDhLJ4&refer=japan

Relief Web

June 22, 2003

“Seoul earmarks $140 mil. for aid to N. Korea”

http://wwww.reliefweb.int/w/Rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/79381a87de42988649256d4e001541d2?OpenDocument 

Associated Press

June 18, 2003

“Shadow market economy thrives in anti-capitalist North Korea”

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/06/18/international0142EDT0433.DTL 

VOANews.com

June 16, 2003

“N. Korean Refugee Problem Remains Serious”

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=EA10970F-637B-4A19-B0E87AD38B8F801D

MSNBC.com

June 16, 2003

“UNHCR says China may now be less tough on N.Koreans”


http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters06-16-040932.asp?reg=PACRIM 

Relief Web

June 13, 2003

“WFP Emergency Report No. 24 of 2003 (See the DPR Korea part)”

http://wwww.reliefweb.int/w/Rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/aad14f2d6b31c11e85256d44006656ba?OpenDocument

MSNBC.com|

June 13, 2003

“North Korea food shortages seen getting worse”


http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters06-13-012520.asp?reg=PACRIM

Dailytelegraph.co.uk

June 8, 2003

Famine-struck N Koreans ‘eating children’

http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/06/08/wkor08.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/06/08/ixworld.html

The United States Agency for
International Development

June 5, 2003

Testimony of Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator, USAID


http://www.usaid.gov/press/spe_test/testimony/2003/ty030605.html