"NORTH KOREA'S URBAN POOR AT BOTTOM OF THE PILE"... SURPRISED?

Decent article by Martin Nesirky on the condition of the majority of North Korea's citizens. I remember about a decade ago watching videos of North Korea by a food aid activist that is a friend of my parents. Much of the people were starving at the time and eating bark and grass to sustain themselves. I don't think the conditions are that much better now.

Trapped between vicious inflation and uncertain paydays, the 60 percent of North Korea's 22.5 million people that aid workers estimate live in urban settings are a new underclass in a country where the daily food ration is equal to about two bowls of rice.

"New vulnerable groups are emerging because of economic changes," wrote Kathi Zellweger of the Catholic charity Caritas in a report outlining a $2.5 million appeal.

The outside perception might be that those groups most at risk were largely in the countryside. The reverse is true; urban poverty is a growing concern for aid workers. Yet despite the trend, few believe the poverty gap will cause social unrest. (full article)

Of course the poverty gap won't cause social unrest since the vast majority of the population is brainwashed. I posted about this earlier after listening to a seminar by Philip Yun. Also did you see the footage of the North Korean soccer "cheerleaders" (fan dancing on the sidelines really isn't cheerleading for me) hysterically crying during a rainout of a match last year? The rain was smearing a painted billboard of Kim Jong Il and they were on their knees sobbing. Freaky. Definitely brainwashed.