Here's a Tip: Don't Give North Korea More Aid

National Interest ^ | August 9, 2015 | Doug Bandow

[TigerLikesRooster]

Here's a Tip: Don't Give North Korea More Aid

"No matter what promises North Korea makes and agreements North Korea signs, nothing is likely to change."

Doug Bandow

August 9, 2015

Shenyang, China: North Korea is a major topic of interest in this provincial capital in China’s northeast. The “Hermit Kingdom” is just a couple hours away by car. Pyongyang sends diplomats and students to Shenyang while attempting to stem the flow of refugees. Again the North’s harvest does not look good. Observers warn that another famine may be coming. The first reports of drought appeared earlier this year. The United Nations began worrying about a “huge food deficit” in May. It warned that 70 percent of North Korea’s population faces a food shortage.

A month later the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea claimed that it was experiencing “the worst drought in 100 years.” Pyongyang has been known to exaggerate its problems to encourage outside assistance, but the Food and Agriculture Organization predicted that domestic production may run only half that of last year. UNICEF predicted a serious drought which would cause widespread malnutrition. Three years ago the group concluded that one-quarter of children already were malnourished. Thus, UNICEF argued, disaster threatened: “If we delay until we are certain of crop failures, it may well be too late to save the most vulnerable children.” Visitors affirm significant rural problems. American diplomats stationed in the region give credence to such reports.

[TigerLikesRooster]

P!

[GeronL]

“Drought” is always caused by socialism in these countries.

[familyop]

"Here's a Tip: Don't Give North Korea More Aid"

If the strategists of the R.O.K. Army agree with that, it's probably good advice.

[LukeL]

NK is like an addict. You think by paying their bills or buying them groceries you are doing better than just giving them money because you know what they will spend it on. Problem is that by giving that person aid, they then have money they can spend on drugs.

With NK they can spend all their money on the military and elite because the world takes care of their other needs.

[oldasrocks]

Anybody remember an article a few years back where it said they had a few years of food stored in tunnels in case we invade? I remember most of it was from us in the guise of foreign aid.

[TigerLikesRooster]

What they do is to periodically renew grain stock. They take out old stock, which has been stored for a few years and about to go bad and useless, and sell them to civilians, while fresh new stock provided by other countries takes its place.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

For many years, when NK wanted something from the US, the remains of a fallen soldier would suddenly turn up north of the DMZ. A grateful America would provide a gift to the regime in return.

[TigerLikesRooster]

They say Norks actually located remains years ago and stored them at some warehouses. Then they pretend to find new ones whenever they want new gift, and bring out some from the warehouse.

[DoodleDawg]

Didn’t they have the worst drought in 100 years about ten years ago?

[TigerLikesRooster]

It is now widely believed that their talk of “the worst drought in 100 years” is frequently an exaggeration to lure foreign food aid. They do have a bad drought once in a while. Sparse vegetation in mountains and collapsed irrigation infrastructure worsen its impact.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

This was confirmed by several NK defectors...

[SevenofNine]

That one thing I don’t get

Why we still giving money to North Korea that we know it going to average people in North Korea that oxymoron