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N.Korea 'Spending Hand Over Fist While People Starve'(every colonel or general got a new car)
Chosun Ilbo ^ | 07/14/06

Posted on 07/15/2006 8:44:18 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

N.Korea 'Spending Hand Over Fist While People Starve'

A Grand National Party lawmaker and member of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee on Friday said North Korea’s budget structure means it can pour money into its missile program while its people are starving. The comments from Chung Hyung-keun came at a meeting of leading party members a day after the North slammed the South’s refusal to continue food aid until it returns to disarmament talks.

"We understand that North Korea intends to build up to 17 more Taepodong-2 missiles,” Jung said. "Some people say each Taepodong-2 costs W60 billion (US$1=W954), but the National Intelligence Service holds that per-unit cost is W25 billion. Additionally, they have about 450 US$400,000 Rodong missiles, and 400 $200,000 Scud missiles." Chung said this was reliable information from government agencies.

"There are insufficient funds in the budget for the people, but the military budget is allotted separately and is abundant,” Jung said. There are three budgets in the North, military, general and leader Kim Jong-il’s personal budget.

Chung said the reason is that the military controls all the profitable industries. "The money-making projects are all covered in the military budget, but since the regular budget is insufficient, North Korea asks South Korea for rice and fertilizer," he said. "Our government needs to tell North Korea to stop using a dual budget structure that starves the people to death."

Chung said the North recently had a surplus in the military budget, “so they gave out cars to everyone above the rank of colonel" he said. He added Rodong and Scud missiles are for export to countries like Syria and Libya, and North Korea now ranks sixth in the world in missile technology.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: colonel; general; militarybudget; missilecrisis; newcar; northkorea; surplus; taepodong2
A related thread:

S. Korea: Legislator Chung, "N. Korea to make up to 17 Taepodong's"(more details)

1 posted on 07/15/2006 8:44:25 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster; AmericanInTokyo; OahuBreeze; yonif; risk; Steel Wolf; nuconvert; MizSterious; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 07/15/2006 8:45:03 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster

I suspect that those generals are the biggest threat to Lil Kim's grip on power. He has to keep them happy.


3 posted on 07/15/2006 8:48:03 AM PDT by cripplecreek (I'm trying to think but nothing happens)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

This regime has to be taken down. Its continued existence threatens the entire world.


4 posted on 07/15/2006 8:49:58 AM PDT by tomzz
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Yes, and they tell their people that it's America's fault that they have no food.

Disgusting!

5 posted on 07/15/2006 8:56:37 AM PDT by guitar4jesus (Black, Conservative . . . and I vote!)
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To: cripplecreek
I suspect that those generals are the biggest threat to Lil Kim's grip on power. He has to keep them happy.

Once again, GMTA. Mighty few leaders throughout history have ever been brought down by "the People". It's almost always been by a palace coup. For all his strutting, you just know Lil Kim sleeps with one eye open...and a gun under his pillow.

6 posted on 07/15/2006 8:57:01 AM PDT by yankeedame ("Oh, I can take it but I'd much rather dish it out.")
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To: TigerLikesRooster

I would love to learn how many cars are involved and what makes were purchased. It would tickle me to discover that the colonels and generals were given decadent American Cadillacs, decadent German Porsches or decadent Japanese Lexuses. OTOH, maybe Kim got a good deal on a boatload of Trabants that had been floating on the high seas for a few years.


7 posted on 07/15/2006 9:02:54 AM PDT by kilowhskey (Land of the free, because of the brave.)
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To: kilowhskey

I've read that the only thing a Trabant is good for is making a good roadside mechanic.


8 posted on 07/15/2006 9:04:46 AM PDT by cripplecreek (I'm trying to think but nothing happens)
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To: kilowhskey
Re #7

I know for a fact that N. Korea imported Volkswagen a couple of Phaeton and hundreds of Passat. I suspect many of them have gotten a Passat.:)

9 posted on 07/15/2006 9:05:35 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: yankeedame

" For all his strutting, you just know Lil Kim sleeps with one eye open...and a gun under his pillow."

Nothing that one well placed and timed cruise missile couldn't cure for the Dear Mentally ILL Leader.


10 posted on 07/15/2006 9:07:55 AM PDT by tflabo (Take authority that's ours)
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To: yankeedame

Dictators fall when the privates refuse to shoot.


11 posted on 07/15/2006 9:11:02 AM PDT by patton (LGOPs = head toward the noise, kill anyone not dressed like you.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
...they gave out cars to everyone above the rank of colonel...

Oprah is going to be jealous.

12 posted on 07/15/2006 10:07:05 AM PDT by Loyal Buckeye
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To: TigerLikesRooster

How long will China let this go on? China should absorb NK, I'm sure that the USA would not mind.


13 posted on 07/15/2006 10:20:59 AM PDT by Mike Darancette (Make them go home!!)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

btt


14 posted on 07/15/2006 10:27:36 AM PDT by Velveeta
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To: TigerLikesRooster
The civilized countries of the world have been propping this whackjob up for years. Without foreign aid,  someone would have put a much deserved bullet in his brain years ago.

Would the result be better or worse? Who knows? Who really cares. Tthe people are already starving to death.  Unfortunately, we'd prefer the cycle to continue, as long as the staus quo is maintained.

15 posted on 07/15/2006 10:30:59 AM PDT by zeugma (I reject your reality and substitute my own in its place.)
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To: zeugma

I'd like to clari9fy, that for the purposes of my comment above, china is among those "civilized" countries propping up NK.


16 posted on 07/15/2006 10:34:05 AM PDT by zeugma (I reject your reality and substitute my own in its place.)
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To: kilowhskey
Dunno if it’s changed since then, but in ’98 their decadent car of choice was Mercedes.
17 posted on 07/15/2006 10:40:09 AM PDT by dighton
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To: tomzz

Should've bombed the NK launching pads over the 4th of July weekend, IMO.


18 posted on 07/15/2006 10:47:10 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: cripplecreek

North Korea is a typical Third World dictatorship. The main man must share his loot with a select group it insure loyalty. It didn't help Saddam.


19 posted on 07/15/2006 1:13:40 PM PDT by R.W.Ratikal
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To: dighton

What an eye-opening story. Thank you for posting that link.


20 posted on 07/15/2006 3:37:09 PM PDT by kilowhskey (Land of the free, because of the brave.)
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