By One Free Korea has a great posting about the rising drug abuse in North Korea.
Today, there is too much evidence to deny that North Korea’s drug problem is serious and growing, and that it threatens the country’s social and political stability. A series of alarming reports in the Daily NK paints a bleak picture of abuse of opiates, including heroin, but especially of a form of methampetamine the North Koreans call “bingdu” or “philopon.” [One Free Korea]
Read the whole thing, but undeniably drug abuse is expanding in North Korea and coincidentally or maybe not, the "philopon" drug that is being abused is the same drug of choice being abused in South Korea as well.
2:01 am on March 4th, 2008 1
Oh here we go again…cant we just let the anger go my friend:
First you accuse the NKs of attacking the South Koreans…then theres that thing about death camps…now its human trafficing, taking pictures of Aircraft Carriers…and finally….The NKs are taking Drugs. Geez its no wonder they are so upset with us…they been reading your blog
5:14 am on March 4th, 2008 2
Metamphetamines are used in North Korea to treat the severe effects of malnutrition and starvation. The drug manufacturing is done on the west coast on the border with China and China in 2007 asked the DPRK to cut back on production because it was showing up on their side of the border.
Maybe one should look not at the fact of rising drug use, but instead rising malnutrition and starvation.
5:58 am on March 4th, 2008 3
Kalani,
Joshua in his posting links meth to the collapsing of the North Korean health system which would tie in to what you are talking about in regards to malnutrition and starvation.
However, there is not a lot anyone can do about the starvation and malnutrition as long as the regime forbids international aid agencies from monitoring and ensuring the most malnourished people receive the aid.
The conditions in North Korea are such that it is ripe for an expansion of drug abuse which is quickly becoming another social issue that will make unification with South Korea one day that much more difficult.
12:51 am on March 6th, 2008 4
[...] when GI Korea read my post about meth in North Korea and linked to this, I was gobsmacked. Meth in Korea? During my four years [...]
2:33 am on March 6th, 2008 5
[...] when GI Korea read my post about meth in North Korea and linked to this, I was gobsmacked. Meth in Korea? During my four years [...]