PrintMarch 5, 2010
NoKo army running out of food (updated)
Tiger Likes Rooster, an American who lives in Asia and regularly posts translations of posts from Korea and Japan describing events in North Korea reports that:
N. Korean Army Running out of Food...Soldiers Ordered to Sleep Rather Than Do TrainingSources, "Officers go AWOL for a long time to feed himself."N. Korea's recent shortage of food is reaching close to the level during the famine in 90's, aka 'March of Suffering.' In particular, discontinued food aid from international community is reportedly hurting soldiers most.Sources say that food situation in N. Korean military have rapidly deteriorated since the second half of last year. Civilians learned to survive without government ration, but soldiers cannot survive unless the state provide them with food. Stopped food aid from international community dealt a serious blow to them.According to one of the sources, since the latter part of last year, many units can only provide a few dozen corn kernels or a couple of potatos (per meal) and they have only enough for two meals (a day.) Order came down to make soldiers sleep in the afternoon and not put them into training or work as much as possible.
Another source said, "Malnutrition among soldiers are increasing fast, and I have even seen a case of an unmarried company commissar who went home, stayed for a month, 'replenish himself with calories', before returning (back to his unit.)"
In private correspondence he adds this about the author of the piece:
"The reporter for this article, Zu Sung-ha, is a defector from Pyongyang who attended Kim Il-sung University, the best and the most selective(not just academically but also ideologically) university in N. Korea. He is no doubt from N. Korea's elite, and may have some connection among elite circle of N. Korea."
We have read for some time about food shortages in North Korea but this is the first report of the shortages affecting the rather privileged North Korean military forces.
Thomas Lifson adds:
Note that the effect of food aid to North Korea has been to sustain the army and (no doubt) the government elite. All the deals with North Korea to supposedly halt nuclear weapons development have had the net effect of cementing the regime in power. They were always a terrible idea. Although there are many enablers of this tyanny in the American government, one in particular stands out. The image of Madeleine Albright being feted by Kim Jong-il in the mammoth Pyongyang stadium should be lasting stain on her reputation.
If North Korea does collapse, the disposition of its nuclear armory is of critical importance, obviously, as is the need for South Korea (and others, principally us) to feed the starving millions. It most assuredly will not be a purely joyful reunion of the two Koreas.
