By As with any news coming out of North Korea you should take this news with some skepticism:
Disaffected North Koreans working secretly as journalists within the country for the Japan-based Asiapress International news agency have smuggled out video footage of interviews with soldiers in different parts of the isolated country, with many complaining of malnutrition.
Asked how many of the men in his unit are experiencing malnutrition, one young conscript said it is as high as 50 per cent in the spring.
“And it will get worse after a while,” another soldier said. “After the potatoes are harvested, we only have seven small potatoes for one meal.”
The soldier indicated that each potato is only the size of his thumb.
“The shortage of food is not only in this unit,” he said. “Food shortages and malnutrition are rampant among all troops.” [The Telegraph via reader tip]
This story seems exaggerated considering it leads with a headline of 50% of the North Korean army is starving. I think this probably not true and nothing in the article convinced me that it is true. There are probably some units experiencing food shortages but I would be surprised if its a military wide problem, yet.
6:54 am on September 27th, 2011 1
Every North Korean I’ve seen, other than a few of the top leaders, looked rather anorexic to me… but maybe that’s just my “Western Bias”…
8:35 am on September 27th, 2011 2
North Korea’s citizens have been malnourished for decades now… but don’t think for a minute that the North Korean government doesn’t benefit immensely from over-exaggerating famine conditions every year.
Always take the reported starvation level of its citizens with a grain of salt. They are trying to finagle as much food and other aid as they can from foreign countries. Even the U.S. pledged $900,000 recently.
8:47 am on September 27th, 2011 3
There is probably something to this. But yeah, anecdotal stuff in this realm probably isn’t telling the whole story. Anyone who served a day in the military knows Joes everywhere complain about food.
8:58 am on September 27th, 2011 4
If the KPA is only getting 1/2 of the food, where does the rest go? Does KJI eat it all?
3:04 pm on September 27th, 2011 5
If North Korean civilians are starving, that’s a reason to give aid — not a sufficient reason by itself, just one consideration. But if their military is starving, that’s a reason to withhold aid.
4:13 pm on September 27th, 2011 6
at least they look like they have displine unlike other military
4:26 pm on September 27th, 2011 7
Oh, I’m sure there is a pecking order in the DPRK’s military when it comes to getting food rations. Something like: conscripted grunts from the hostile class getting the least and special forces from the reliable class getting the most.
5:32 pm on September 27th, 2011 8
If they are hungry, they will fight harder and die faster. As for discipline, like they have an “option”.
I know I had a few “soldiers” that a good a$$ beating would have helped a great deal.
9:15 pm on September 27th, 2011 9
Messages intended to spread doubt about the regime would be very effective right now. At some point, à la East Germans in 1989, the guards will stop shooting the people trying to cross the wall.
Already, the Great Currency Obliteration of 2009 has had a profound effect forcing the regime to keep neighboring districts from intermixing with each other too much.
5:28 am on September 28th, 2011 10
“This story seems exaggerated”…
Is it? Look at the picture…Those are the healthier and brawnier ones.