Home >> East Asia >> North & South Korea

     Email   Print 

North Korea's Nuclear Propaganda Conceals the Citizens' Grief

Amit Pyakurel - 11/26/2006

While the world media appears busy on covering outcry associated with the North Korea’s recent nuclear practice, it seems we are painfully subsiding our alertness towards the very suffering of the North Korean citizens, who on the one hand suffers beneath the oppressiveness of their own regime, and on the other are apparently being pushed back towards a sway of famine, an upshot of the recent UN sanction and other international aid barrier to this isolated communist state, as the result of its nuclear test last month. The probable famine could be similar to that of the 1990s, when about 3.5 million died of starvation due to the food shortages caused by the economic crumple faced by the country.


Malnutrition is already a significant reality of many North Koreans, apart from some ruling and miniature elite faction. It is said that an average North Korean 7-year-old child is eight inches shorter than his/her South Korean counterpart of the same age. Though the international sanctions have been imposed upon the regime, notably to pressurize it to abandon its nuclear ambition, it doesn’t appear to concern the president Kim . Instead, the sanction is likely to deteriorate the country’s economy that have already been constantly struggling to feed its people, further risking millions of additional poverty-ridden lives.

The welfare of its citizens would and should have been the first priority of any regime, if the regime is a democratic, accountable, and appreciably based on the citizens’ trust. However, one could grant this as a far fetched expectation, at least, from the dictatorial rule like in North Korea, which seems to have vehemently disregarded the well-being, let alone the aspects like abject poverty and malnutrition, of its citizens, since a considerable time frame in history, other than insistently nourishing its military arsenal.

The profound militarization of the DPRK regime easily outweighs its comparatively low population and murky economy. The country’s vulnerable budget though seems to be inclined to flourish its sophisticated military advancement programs, and the country’s number of soldiers are outstandingly 1.3 million, the fifth biggest in the world.

North Korea outdo any other totalitarian regime that survived throughout the history, in terms of rigorously oppressing its citizens, according to critics. The human rights of its citizens have been brutally subjugated under the fit of the former and the current dictatorship. Further, speculation over human rights situation in the country is full of hindrance, as the regime has inhibited unhindered access to the information regarding the livelihood of its citizens. Onlookers could easily verify that the oppressive strategy used by the former dictator Kim Il Sung has been inherited to his son, the current ruler cum dictator, Kim Jong-il.

There is an interesting stance that the regime couldn’t even suit to be called an “authoritarian,” but a “totalitarian” one, where a regime commands every realm of the citizens’ lives, which resembles not only the restriction upon the visible actions of the citizens, but also their feeling and thinking. The regime has imposed tough boundaries over the citizens’ livelihood, including the right of expression, assembly, association, or religion. Those failing to abide by these “laws” often are treated harshly by the means of torture, enforced labor (to the prisoners), forced abortions, starvation, or even execution.

There is a high degree of restriction on information, especially to those that the regime feels to be against it. North Korea has been termed as the worst violator of the press freedom, according to the fifth annual Reporters Sans Frontiers Worldwide Press Freedom Index issued on October 2006. The access to the domestic and the international news media is highly prohibited, unless the domestic media admire the “Dear Leader.”

There is restriction over radio and television stations, internet, any printed medium, and even the religious sermons. Though some of the foreign radio stations could be accessed inside the country, the citizens listening to them could face penalties anytime. Even contacting any foreigner or traveling outside the country is prohibited, the consequence for which could be as extreme as a death penalty.

Another hard-hitting concern is that the illegal infiltration of the thousands of North Koreans into the Chinese territories, through the semi-permeable border amid China and North Korea. The International Crisis Group (ICG) said in October that moving of the North Koreans into China and other surrounding regions, particularly to escape from poverty and starvation, “could prove to be a humanitarian disaster.” This could be a repeat of the history, as the famine caused by the economic crumple of the country in the 1990s had impelled thousands of North Koreans to seek sanctuary in China and other adjoining regions.

Though the sincere international aid, following the 1990s food crisis, had comparatively managed to turn down the malnutrition rate of North Korea throughout 2002-2004 (though being relatively high concerning the global nutrition strategy), the subsequent food deficit followed till date has forced a number of North Koreans to penetrate into China and other regions. There are likely to be about 100,000 North Koreans infiltrated into China, according to the recent assessment by the International Crisis Group. According to the assessment, there could be little more than 9,000 North Koreans inhabited in South Korean, and other small numbers scattered inside Japan, the U.S., and Europe, where most of them are living as the refugees.

So, besides pressurizing this dictatorial regime to give up its nuclear arsenal, it looks equally important for the international community to safeguard the very ordinary North Korean lives. While China, U.S., and the South Korea are considered the most significant diplomatic collaborator and aid provider for North Korea, these nations’ challenge would not only be to persuade its regime to abandon its nuclear program, but also to ensure the well-being of the North Korean citizens. The crucial role of the international bystanders would be to gain a fruitful compliance from the North’s regime. And this compliance should not only mean to do away the lingering threat of nuclear weapons held by the regime, but also to facilitate basic human rights to its citizens, including safeguarding the citizens from the near probability of economic disaster and grievous food shortage.