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.
Ping!
I suspect that those generals are the biggest threat to Lil Kim's grip on power. He has to keep them happy.
This regime has to be taken down. Its continued existence threatens the entire world.
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.
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.
I've read that the only thing a Trabant is good for is making a good roadside mechanic.
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.:)
" 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.
Dictators fall when the privates refuse to shoot.
Oprah is going to be jealous.
How long will China let this go on? China should absorb NK, I'm sure that the USA would not mind.
btt
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.
I'd like to clari9fy, that for the purposes of my comment above, china is among those "civilized" countries propping up NK.
Should've bombed the NK launching pads over the 4th of July weekend, IMO.
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.
What an eye-opening story. Thank you for posting that link.
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