Do you think U.S should donate food to N.Korea?

[jasonmarz930]

I think food aid to North Korea must be considered carefully.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un requested food aid to the United States for the first time since he came to power.

At the end of December, which was during the mourning period for the death of Kim Jong-Il, North Korea requested for more food aid, with more grains than other nutritional supplements. This was done to change what the US did a year before, to aid North Korea with powdered milk and biscuits for the elderly and children.

But this food aid was done to improve the general atmosphere of the International Summit to tackle North Korea's nuclear weapons. Since this was nutritional aid, instead of food aid, the US declined the request.

If the US agreed to change their aid plan, North Korea must have used the new source of food for their new government. This was a wise move for the US.

North Korea is now walking a rougher path than ever after Kim Jong-Il's death. Therefore the US and the rest of the international community needs to realize that food aid only helps preserve the dictatorship in North Korea. They should approach with a carrot and a stick in order to crack down on North Korea.

 

[colay]

As a gesture of goodwill and as a step towards initiating contact with the new leader, why not? So long as it can be verified that the food is actually reaching the populace.

 

[jasonmarz930]

ah....

I seriously wonder that N.Korean government gives the food to people and there is no special way to verify food aid route. they just pretend to ration the food to people . I think most of north korean people are not rationed now.

 

[hunuok]

I am not against giving aid as long as it is being distributed to the people who need it the most-the citizens.

In the past, food aid to the north generally went to feed the military, with the remainder finding it's way to the black market.

Unless the Red Cross or the UN steps in to monitor the distribution, I can't see any benefit of giving aid.

North Korea seems to take from the international community yet give no concessions in return.

 

[colay]

Reports say the US food aid is in the form of nutritional biscuits. Pyongyang is insisting on rice and grains. The biscuits would suffice for the general population but won't go over well with the army and families of the ruling elite.

 

[GI-Gizmo]

DPRK Food Aid Situation



When I think about the North Korean situation, especially whether we should provide food aid to the country, I can't help but try to picture what it would feel like to be starving to death. I live in the US and have never gone more than a few hours without eating, I have unlimited choices of what I want to consume. I can go out right now and get almost anything I want to eat, so it is difficult for me to picture what it is like to have no food and no possibility of getting any. Part of me thinks we should stop placating the regime. We need to show them how powerful we really are and we need to flex our muscles so they know that we are no joke to play around with. The North Korean ruling elite seem very difficult to figure out. It is such a contrast to Western, free culture that it seems alien to me. On the other hand, human beings are very similar when it comes to certain issues, especially food and survival. The desire the regime has to stay in power is genetically engrained. The general populous has no idea what is really going on at the top or outside their nation. They are told that they are starving and suffering because the US is evil and made it happen. As the US, Japan, South Korea and China negotiates with the North in 2012, we need to stop spinning our tires in the mud and actually let them know we are serious about starting to resolve the serious aspects of the situation, (nuclear disarmament, famine and military confrontation). As delirious as the North may seem, they must realize survival depends on stepping back from the brink, stopping their nuclear program and feeding their people. The nation is ruled by fear and punishment, the leadership must learn that that does not work against us and that we will not blink. So to answer the question with my opinion; yes, I think food aid is a useful tool that must be used, however, we must get something solid in return.

 

[My2Cents]

When I think about the North Korean situation, especially whether we should provide food aid to the country, I can't help but try to picture what it would feel like to be starving to death. I live in the US and have never gone more than a few hours without eating, I have unlimited choices of what I want to consume. I can go out right now and get almost anything I want to eat, so it is difficult for me to picture what it is like to have no food and no possibility of getting any. Part of me thinks we should stop placating the regime. We need to show them how powerful we really are and we need to flex our muscles so they know that we are no joke to play around with. The North Korean ruling elite seem very difficult to figure out. It is such a contrast to Western, free culture that it seems alien to me. On the other hand, human beings are very similar when it comes to certain issues, especially food and survival. The desire the regime has to stay in power is genetically engrained. The general populous has no idea what is really going on at the top or outside their nation. They are told that they are starving and suffering because the US is evil and made it happen. As the US, Japan, South Korea and China negotiates with the North in 2012, we need to stop spinning our tires in the mud and actually let them know we are serious about starting to resolve the serious aspects of the situation, (nuclear disarmament, famine and military confrontation). As delirious as the North may seem, they must realize survival depends on stepping back from the brink, stopping their nuclear program and feeding their people. The nation is ruled by fear and punishment, the leadership must learn that that does not work against us and that we will not blink. So to answer the question with my opinion; yes, I think food aid is a useful tool that must be used, however, we must get something solid in return.

The problem is that you are confusing the people of North Korea with the top leadership. The leadership’s priorities are:

1. Maintaining the loyalty of the apparatus of suppression that keeps them on the top.
2. Their own wellbeing and pleasure
3. The military, as the only force that can challenge the security apparatus.
4. Their loyal supporters
5. Everyone else (over 60% of the population).

Any food we send ends up going to #1, plus some goes to #3, and most or the remaining gets sold to China to buy goodies for #2, with #4 getting any that is left. #5 gets nothing.

This is well documented, to the point that NONE of the aid agencies are willing to send food to North Korea unless they can directly supervise distribution. North Korea will not even discuss that, partially because it means that they will not be able to divert the food to get support from #1 thru #3, but also because if the peasants see western foreigners distributing food they will begin to question the regime’s claims that the west is trying to destroy them. That could lead to rebellion, and the fall of the leadership.

 

[PCShogun]

I also question the aid, but not from hatred of the North Korean people.

In 2011, North Korea spent about $46 million on corn, rice, and other food products in the first half of the year. However, in the same time frame, North Korea also spend $10 million on imported Chinese luxury goods. These items reportedly include Marlboro cigarettes, Hennessy cognac, whiskey, Japanese beer, designer brands such as Gucci, Armani and Rolex, not to mention Big Macs flown in daily from China.

The imports included about $500,000 worth of high-grade beef, apparently for luxury meals used to maintain the support of the power elite. These imports came despite sanctions preventing such imports. Luxury imports to North Korea has increased over the past 5 years. Cell phone imports alone to the North has increased 4,200% (433,183 phones), Mostly from China. One may also wonder at how three new Lincoln Lincoln limousines seen at Kim Jong Il's funeral got into North Korea.

It is estimated that the political elite consists of a few thousand key decision-makers and about a million people with mid-level or senior positions in the bureaucracy. Most of the rest of the population of 24 million receive an official monthly salary of $2 to $3 which they can top up to about $15 by selling things in private markets

South Korea believes aid from the U.S. and Europe are redistributed to the Army, and little, if any, ever reaches the starving civilian population, reportedly on a daily diet of just over 200 grams a day, about 700 calories.

If such aide could be assured of reaching the needy people, then yes, send the food, but when such aide goes to enrich the already rich, one must reconsider what good they are actually doing.

References:
Los Angeles Times Archives - July 22, 2011
The wall Street Journal - Jan 7, 2012
The Telegraph - July 16, 2011