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Parent’s Day in North Korea

May 10, 2010 by Park

The second week of May is always annually recognized around the world for Mother’s Day, just as it was in South Korea this weekend. 

On May 6th, another meaningful event was held in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, where elderly North Korean refugees were served with North Korean food. The refugees relished the food, some even saving it for later. At the same time, many shed tears as well, for they were reminded of their family still living, or already having deceased, in North Korea. When asked if Parent’s Day was celebrated in North Korea too, one elderly woman answered, “No, but they instead celebrate the birthdays of their fathers - Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jung-Il.” 

Just as the world celebrates parents for their sacrifice,  Nort Korea celebrates their Dear Leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jung-Il on April 15th and February 16th. A series of luxurious festivals, foods and entertainments make those two dates the greatest national holidays. 

The two seemingly delightful holidays exist to keep the inner party members' mouths shut from the public

 

It was reported that on April 13th that several hundred imported automobiles were imported from China to North Korea. Afterwards, another two hundred cars were imported again, which were approximated to have cost 5 million dollars to buy all the cars. So one would question for what use those luxurious and expensive cars were imported. For industrial use? For the people’s welfare? No, but the answer is that it’s only likely that they were for the upperclassmen of the government officials, and that they were ordered by Kim Jung-Il as gifts for his aides. It only seems that gifts are expensive yet effective method of Kim Jung-Il to prevent his government officials from defecting or telling the world and the people about the reality of North Korea. Refugees who currently reside in South Korea also testify that Kim Jung-Il gave cars to the Party members as gifts. The two seemingly delightful holidays existed to bribe the inner party members to keep their mouth shut from the public, so that the “supreme leader” could keep his dictatorship.

Posted in Others, Politics, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Step by Step to a Better Future…

March 30, 2010 by victorying1995

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il, might visit China, due to his visit to the Pyongan province. Having “reportedly” being hesitant to fly, Kim Jong Il has prefered to tarvel in his personal train. The possible trip to China could be another step towards de-nuclearizing North Korea. If so, the world could breath better.

If North Korea were to de-nuclearize, then perhaps it would benefit everyone. Asian countries no longer need to live in a nuclear war tension, while USA could spread its influence to Asia by helping North Korean infrastructure. Also, China could boast of its diplomatic success, and most importantly, North Korea is that much closer to rebuilding itself.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Food in the Dump

March 8, 2010 by Park

“Whatever You Like” by an American rapper, T.I., was a massive hit in the summer of 2008, topping  the charts for seven nonconsecutive weeks, and staying in the top 3 of the charts for over 3 months. In the song, an imaginary girl that goes out with T.I. is able to have whatever she likes, from champaign to clothes to just plain cash.

However, in our society, it seems to us that we canThe increasingly wonderous food waste never get what we like. When we take food, for example, in my high school cafeteria, when I ask my friends, “What’s for dinner?”, one out of three times, they say something like, ”OMG rubber steak!”, “It’s chicken and rice again”, or “It’s disgusting. I’m ordering sushi.” This is not only happening at my school cafeteria, but restaurants all over the world, resulting in the increasingly wonderous food wastes.

Once, one of my friend told me that her father scolded her and told her to think of the kids in North Korea everytime she had left-over food. Perhaps, it is the tragedy of having so many things that we do not realize how many things we have to be thankful for. We easily forget that when we are wishing to get “whatever [we] like,” people in North Korea do not even get the one of the most basic things that human beings deserve to have – food. 

Just today, the Chosun Times reported that this year, North Korea will be short on food by 1.0 to 1.2 million tons without support from outter countries. It has been estimated that, from last fall till upcoming summer, approximately 3.0 to 4.0 million tons of crops will be produced. Whereas, the amount of supply needed is nearly 5.23 million tons, which includes 4.058 million tons needed for the people. The Korea Herald reported that nearly 1 third of the North Korean population needs food support from the United Nations.

More than a third of North Koreans are in need of food aid from the international community, said Lynn Pascoe, U.N. under-secretary-general for political affairs, who visited the impoverished state earlier this month.

“These are human beings that need the food. It’s not the political system. This shouldn’t be argued in a political way,” Pascoe said in an interview with CNN.

He said the United Nations is giving nutritional supplements to as many as 1.3 million of North Korea’s 24 million people, but the U.N. World Food Program has estimated that more than a third of the population needs food aid.

Pascoe claimed the United Nations can be relied on for transparency of distribution.

“Our people believe they have a very clear idea of who’s using the food, where it’s going, and it’s really for the good of the people who need it most,” he said.

Pascoe was the first top-level U.N. official to visit North Korea in six years.

“There clearly is malnutrition at younger ages, so we’re trying to help them with fortified food and up through the schools so that they can eat. There also was a very large program on immunizations for the children,” he said.

“Our problem is we don’t have enough money coming in now to sustain some of those programs. … But the truth of the matter is we need to do more because these are people.”

The South Korean government estimates that the North will be short of up to 1.1 million tons of grain this year due to poor harvests last year.

[The Korea Herald]

It is perfectly fine not to like all the food that we get on our plate, and we might, again, be prone to throwing them away. However, next time we are in front of the trash can, thinking of dumping the left over rubber steak in, we should remind ourselves what that steak means to the children in North Korea. It is something that they can only dream of seeing. It is something that can keep them more healthy. It is something that would have helped some of them live for at least one more day.

Posted in Health Issues, Others | 1 Comment »

Female N.Korean refugees suffer abuse

March 2, 2010 by Ban

Many female North Korean refugees suffer violence or human trafficking after fleeing their homeland, a watchdog has said

If you are a North Korean, you would be in a dire need of protection of your human rights under the government’s oppression. If you are a North Korean and woman, you would know that wherever you go, the protection of your rights would be barely possible.

Even once a few of those North Koreans successfully flee their own country, they face the similar, if not worse, oppressions and  human rights infringements. The following  recently-reported article sheds light upon this situation of female refugees in China and how they live in a sickening fear until they find a safe haven.
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The report by the National Human Rights Commission was its first on the plight of women refugees in third countries and followed interviews and a survey of 274 defectors last year.

“Border areas are where most of the human rights infringements against women take place,” university professor Lee Im-Ha, who helped conduct the survey, told a press conference.

Virtually all North Koreans fleeing their country cross into China, where they face forced repatriation if caught. Many travel on to Southeast Asian nations in the hope of eventual resettlement in South Korea.

Many suffered abuses at refugee camps in China and other countries, the survey found. Almost 20 percent of the women bribed North Korean guards with money or sex to get across the initial border, it said.

China’s forced repatriation policy has been strongly criticised by rights groups.

At a Washington press conference in April last year, North Korean women who escaped the sex trade in China said brokers there treated them like livestock by selling them to one or more “husbands”.

Almost 17,000 North Koreans have arrived in the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

[AFP - Feb. 21, 2010]

Posted in Civil Liberties, Concentration Camps, Health Issues, Refugees / Defectors | 2 Comments »

Remember to Vote!

February 27, 2010 by Ban

I already wrote an introduction here, and we only have one more day to help Liberty in North Korea to win $250,000 from Pepsi’s “Refresh Everything” campaign. LiNK is at the 4th place now and it still needs to go up to the 2nd place. You can vote here. Let’s give a last push!
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The money that the organization wins will be explicitly spent for the following goals:

  • Provide job training, and career counseling for refugees.
  • Provide medical and psychological services for North Korean refugees.
  • Provide food for North Korean refugees once resettled in the U.S.
  • Facilitate language acquisition and cultural orientation for refugees.
  • Provide housing for North Korean refugees once resettled in the U.S.

    • Posted in Others | Comments Off

    Thoughts on the 38th Parallel

    February 26, 2010 by Park

    A couple of months ago, a week away from the winter break, I was excited to go back to Korea. I called home, and asked my mother how things were. She said everything was fine, but told me that my grandmother was sick. She told me to pray for her. Oblivious of how serious her situation was, I just stayed in my bed, playing PSP.
     
    As I arrived in Incheon International Airport a week later with my sister, my parents came to pick us up at 3:00 in the morning.
    While heading back home in the car, my dad told me, “We have somewhere to go today.”
    My sister asked, sanguinely assuming that we are going on some vacation, asked, “Where are we going?”
    My dad turned to my mom and asked, “Did you not tell them?”
    And my mom answered, “I couldn’t…”
    s
    My sister and I knew what was coming. On that day when I was playing PSP and worrying about the incomplete homework for the next day, my grandmother passed away from one of the most painful causes of death I could think of. I cannot put into words how sad we were and how much we were crying. Only two phrases were ringing in my head. She was such a nice person. She loved me so much.
    s
    My grandmother was North Korean who came to the South before the war broke out in 1950. As I felt guilty and helpless by the twelve thousand miles across the Pacific Ocean that had to separate me from seeing her for the last time before she passed away, she must have felt the same way by the 38th parallel which had left her separated from her family, friends and home. North and Sourth Korea  is 223,170 square kilometer combined, and it takes less than a day to drive from the top of North Korea to bottom of the South. But the 38th parallel that has divided the two nations since 50 years ago still separates families and makes it impossible to even know whereabouts of one’s brother, sister, or parents, while it would only take a few hours to meet them if there were no border line..
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    I remember my grandfather, who also came from North Korea, always cried every time our family went to his mother’s grave. The last time we went there with my grandfather was in 2005. He still cried, though it has been more than 40 years since my great-grandmother died. When I think of it now, I don’t think it was just the death of his mother that made him shed tears. It was the reminiscence of his distant memories with his friends, cousins, brothers, sisters, and his father, and the fact that they are all suffering from famine and oppression that made him cry.

    Posted in Others | Leave a Comment »

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