Apparently, South Korean rice meant to ease the suffering of North Korean civilians was diverted to the North Korean military (again). Is this even news anymore? Only the most foolish could ever believe that the North Korean military would not be the beneficiary of aid meant for the suffering.
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- #Via AFP: “South Korea has lifted an overseas travel ban on Hwang Jang-Yop, the highest-ranking North Korean defector ever to come here and a harsh critic of the Pyongyang regime. . . Hwang, former secretary of the ruling Workers' Party and an ex-tutor of Kim Jong-Il, defected during a trip to Beijing in 1997.” His travel restriction was due to 10 years of pro-North ROK leadership, now over.
- #After an extended time away from blogging, Sperwer’s Log is back!
- #In a previous post on Pyongyang Soju being imported to the U.S., I used pics from a bottle I have, which was purchased in South Korea. Jason Perlow of Off the Broiler sampled some Pyongyang Soju at a Korean restaurant in New Jersey and has photos of the updated labels (looks like it was $5.99 a bottle).
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February 14th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
North Korean soldiers are hungry, too. Why are they any less special than ordinary North Koreans? I don’t understand this mentality where only non-military should be able to receive aid. If you’re a young man or woman in North Korea, and you are hungry and want your family to be able to eat, you will most likely join the military. What other options are there for those who aren’t lucky enough to live in Pyongyang?
February 14th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Er, because the food aid was provided with the intent of easing the hunger of civilians and not to sustain the North Korean military, which still maintains aggressive posture against ROK and US?
The aid was not meant to be withheld from the civilian population and turned over to the military instead.
Of course, the Roh administration knew of the diversion but did not press the point in the interest of appeasement, so it is complicit in the matter.
February 14th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Jake,
Please use some common sense. What James said. Obviously the goal of aid is not to reinforce the military that could in fact attack your own country, while denying that food to the intended recipients. North Korea is also known to have sold rice aid and used the funds for… you guessed it, the military.
I just hope Obama isn’t the U.S.’s Roh.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Please spare me the common sense comment
What I’m saying is from first-hand experience— the military in that country need food too. We saw a group of them that looked about 10 years younger than they were, because of malnutrition. Yes, the sick and the poor need food, but the military are human beings as well.
February 15th, 2008 at 5:16 am
Jake, there is another solution; North Korea could reduce it’s military and let folks become civilians and therefore be eligible to receive the aid. But coming back to reality, they are not eligible for the aid and it is preposterous to feed the military that could attack you. Common sense.
February 15th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Hello Jake:
The Songun policy is to focus resources to go to the military first. Also, since the regime is based on a “the closer to god you are, the better your chances of goodies”, maybe the lower rungs of the KPA may be very well be malnourished.
Since the KPA are people and I understand your concern for their well-being, Kim Jong Il could step up to the plate and reduce spending for the miltary, focus aid on the people who need it most and have some heart. However, you and I know that’s not how things work in North Korea. Kim Jong Il is interested in preservation of his regime and keeping the people in line. That means elites get things like more rations, better jobs and better access to goodies. The KPA are generally better fed to keep the people in line (cannot have starving guards in camp 22) and the list goes on and on. The ones that are left to die are those that provide little for Kim Jong Il such as those in the countryside.
Also, aid is not just in food, but cash as well. The money was to be used for the crumbling infrastructure and whatever else. Instead, that money is diverted to other things not in benefit for the people. He does not care about the people.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
What’s next, aid for the Taliban? After all, the Talibs are people too!
February 16th, 2008 at 1:30 am
In defense of Jake, I can understand where he comes from considering people are forced to be in the KPA, and they may very well be malnourished. The argument I make is if Kim wants his army so badly, he can take care of his own army and follow his own philosophy for once. Self reliance!
Also, I understand the “just following orders” may not fly in the case of war crimes and crimes against humanity. I agree the aid should be used for those that need it most like those in the countryside. Of course. we all know none of the aid goes to the people in the labor camps. That is why the regime needs to end and end soon.
February 17th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
And this is exactly why sending “aid” to distressed civilians in countries run by dictators (or warlords) is generally a bad idea. Aid is invariably diverted to the folks with guns.
As for this idea of the “malnourished” being forced to join the KPA… I am sure plenty of Germans were forced to be in the Wehrmacht (esp. as the war turned bad), that did not mean somehow, they deserved any more regard than that due to uniformed enemy combatants.
Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that once a civilian dons the military uniform, he becomes an instrument of that country’s (or regime’s in this case) military policy, which, in this case, happens to be disposed in a rather hostile manner against the United States and ROK.
Given the circumstances, aid to North Korea at this point is misguided and counter-productive.