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South Korea to Send First Food Aid to N. Korea Since 2008

From USA Today. North Korea's falling down...falling down...falling down!

"South Korea prepared Monday to send 5,000 tons of rice to flood victims in North Korea in its first humanitarian rice shipment to its communist neighbor since a conservative, pro-U.S. government took office in 2008.

For a decade, South Korea was a major donor of food to North Korea before President Lee Myung-bak halted unconditional assistance following his inauguration in early 2008 with a tough line on Pyongyang. Lee's government also drastically slashed trade with North Korea after tension spiked over March's deadly sinking of a South Korean warship blamed on Pyongyang."

One administration's decisions (actually ONE MAN'S decision) affects the lives of a Communist country--it doesn't take a war to combat communism. In the words of Mrs. George W. Bush, "just say NO!" In this case, it's no to food aid.

"Heavy flooding swamped farmland, houses and public buildings in Sinuiju in August. An estimated 80,000-90,000 people were affected by the flooding, and the 5,000 tons of rice can feed about 100,000 people for 100 days, according to the Red Cross.

"It's a response to the North's conciliatory measures," said Kim Yong-hyun, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University. "I can say it's a small but considerably meaningful start of assistance to North Korea."

Lee's two liberal predecessors seeking reconciliation with North Korea had sent about 300,000-400,000 tons of rice to North Korea annually. Lee, however, suspended such unconditional aid linking it to progress in the North's denuclearization process.

South Korea's last rice shipment to North Korea was made in December 2007. Rice is a key stable for both Koreas."

...

"The North's economy is in shambles due to the communist state's mismanagement and tight controls on business, and the country has relied on outside food aid to feed much of its 24 million people. The North's chronic food shortage was feared to worsen following the latest flooding."

This is how Russia fell--Cuba actually drained Russia dry, then swiftly found a new sugar-daddy in Venezuela. North Korea is not so lucky--there is no new sugar daddy for them! Sure, China does what it can (which is minimal at best, and only for the high-ranking), but as far as the society as a whole? Zippo.

Posted by Cute at 6:04 PM

Labels: food purchases, politics