The social history of the
People’s Democratic
Republic of Korea (DPRK)
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- Labor Force and Employment in DPRK
- People’s Korea, 22 April
1998. Tabulated data on distribution of the labor force
and of employment by age and gender.
- Alarming Rates of Malnutrition Among
Children
- IPS, 18 November 1998. 60 percent of North Korean
children aged six months to seven years are suffering
moderate to severe malnutrition. Unlike other developing
nations, North Korea is not accustomed to such problems
and so was unprepared to deal with them, and North Korean
authorities were surprised when informed of the
problem. Malnutrition of girls half the rate of boys.
- Burn-out ’haunts North
Korea’
- The Straits Times, 9 January
2001. A German doctor, thrown out of North Korea, says
that the people are suffering
burn-out syndrome
with widespread alcoholism adding to crippling food and
power shortages. He claims he was ousted because of his
criticism of human rights abuses in the DPRK.
- Statement by Head of Delegation of DPRK on
World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination,
Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
- Durban, South Africa, 31 August—8 September
2001. Places the relation between the DRPK and Japan into
the context of global racism. Sees racism as a crime
againsts humanity, and feels an important first step in
rectification would be for racist states to acknowledge
their wrongs.
- Forlorn nation
- By Ahn Mi-Young, Asia Times,
21 January 2003. US food aid to North Korea fell from
300,000 tons in 2001 to 155,000 tons in 2002, and Japan
has virtually suspended food delivery since the start of
2002. Innocent children are victims of US political
intransigence. South Korean activists feel humanitarian
needs should be separated from these political issues.
- A Korean Catastrophe
- Richard G. Lugar, The Washington Post, Arab News Agency,
Al-Jazeerah, 20 July 2003. This
article discusses the refugee crisis from an official
U.S. perspective: The hunger in the North is unaddressed
because of juche ideology; the U.S. has been generous in
food donations; DRPK government policy is what prevents
humanitarian relief; the refugees don't flee hunger so
much as their government’s policies; etc.