Posted on 07/18/2009 12:31:13 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Report: N. Korea Facing Worst Crisis Since 1994
JULY 18, 2009 08:14
North Korea is facing its worst situation since the time of the death of its founder Kim Il Sung in 1994, the leading state-run think tank in South Korea said yesterday.
The Korea Development Institute said in a report that North Korea is saddled with a string of problems, including the internal problems of supreme leader Kim Jong Il’s poor health and power succession and external matters of international sanctions and stalled inter-Korean relations.
“When comprehensively considering the situation in North Korea, the North is facing a grave crisis comparable to that in 1994, when it was concurrently embroiled in its first nuclear crisis and saw leader Kim Il Sung die.”
At the time, an estimated hundreds of thousands of North Koreans starved to death due to food shortages resulting from U.S. economic sanctions and a string of natural disasters. As a result, Pyongyang pressed its citizens to persevere and overcome their crisis through a “March of Struggle.”
The institute’s report said the gist of North Korea’s nuclear problem was the dismantlement of its nuclear programs, but is now a showdown between North Korea, which demands global recognition as a nuclear power, and the five parties to the six-way talks who do not want to see a nuclear Pyongyang.
“It will be difficult to see a dramatic turnaround again, like former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s visit to Pyongyang in 1994 and inter-Korean summits,” it said.
“The factor having the most direct impact on the North Korean economy is international economic sanctions on the North, while stalled inter-Korean relations are also affecting goods trade and entrusted production.”
The entire burden is passed onto North Korean citizens, with the North’s economic crisis poised to become prolonged, the report said.
The institute cited as the most prominent characteristic for this year’s first half the North’s adoption of a conservative economic policy.
“Pyongyang is resuming collective labor mobilization campaigns that it used in the past, including Chollima Spirit and the 150-day Fight,” it said. “Through these campaigns, North Korea seeks to step up state control over its people while maximizing internal resources it can mobilize.”
Ping!
” Time is running out on this beast. “
Desperate dictators aren’t always rational...
How much worse when said desperate dictator has (some sort of) working nukes??
Seoul is but a pleasant afternoon’s walk from the DMZ.....
Any expectations from a new Japan government in August?
yitbos
I personally believe that their military capabilities and army is overrated, much like Iraq’s much-ballyhooed Republican Guard.
Ship the poor suffering idiots some genuine plates to make hundred dollar bills. That will be less embarrassing than changing out all their counterfeit bills on deposit with mainland Chinese banks. Let’s just say Hillary thought of it first.
” army is overrated, much like Iraq’s much-ballyhooed Republican Guard. “
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t that ‘weak’ Republican Guard pretty thoroughly trash Kuwait, before we got into the act??
Even sub-par militaries can do trememdous damage before they’re stopped - and is China going to lend us the money to a) fight that war, and/or b) rebuild South Korea when it’s over???
That seems to be an unspoken course of action now. Any talks with a regime in crisis won't be productive. Any expectations from a new Japan government in August?
Even if Minshuto takes power, there is probably little change on N. Korea policy. However, on their Peace Constitution and more aggressive military, I don't know.
balderdash
Thats why the Kuwaiti Army went to Saudi Arabia, I think
They could buy food from the rest of the world. I guess that means we didn’t ship them thousands of tons of food aid for a while back then.
"Just minutes to go by MiG, you know."
Comparing the ROK army to the Kuwaiti army is probably like comparing the 101st Airborne to the Girl Scouts of America.
How much worse when said desperate dictator has (some sort of) working nukes??
I seem to recall King Herod (the Great???) ordering the murder of the Elders of Israel upon his death, so that there would be mourning in the streets. Let's pray that Kim Jong Ill (!) is not of the same mindset with his nukes!
According to a GOVERNMENT THINKTANK. Well that should remove all doubt about the veracity of THIS story!
I think the think tank still has "Sunshine Scum" among its ranks.
I think this is finally getting the attention of the Chinese too, because the last thing they want on their hands is 12 million starving NoKo refugees.
But do the ChiComms really have any control left in North Korea?? I cannot believe that the Chinese counseled Kim and told him it was a great idea to test a nuclear weapon, or develop ICBM’s for the Islamo-Fascists in Iran.
A little help from the fine folks at Rand McNally (makers of maps the world over) could turn this situation around.
Here’s how: Rand McNally agrees to re-name ‘North Korea’ into ‘Taiwan’, and vice versa.
We then inform Beijing that they are free to reunite with Taiwan anytime they wish, and that neither we (nor South Korea) will stand in their way.
And the United States will ‘deal’ with North Korea’s leaders in Taipei and hopefully reach a peaceful resolution to all of these troubling issues.
Heh Heh.
We said the same thing during their famine that killed 2-3 million (NK sources) in the ‘90s. But their government didn’t fall.
Why should it now?
I believe that the NKoreans, by being so isolated from the rest of the world, actually believe that their country is doing better than anyplace else. For those that defect to China... they don’t exactly go back to NKorea and spread the word.
Those that try tend to be shot.
WOWWW maybe end is nearer than we thought eh Tiger
bttt
Well one thing for sure Chia Pet is in my 2009 dead pool beside Crazy Nut job of Iran
Beside I can’t wait till Chia PEt see Pyogangna Patty cry on the spot
I see what you mean, and thanks for that distinction...
I bet Foxnews already has his bio ready.
Soon as he kicks the bucket they’ll play it just like the Cronkite piece.
That tick off more viewers why they want mess with success if they have Chia pet bio
BTW I bet Katie COuric be wearing black LOL!
Barry's fault!
They earn money through proliferation, tech, tunnel building, mining...they have the potential to be very dangerous.
We should have backed off after the cold war, like we should have backed out of europe after the ussr meltdown.
Instead we expanded nato..wth has that gotten us?
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