Korea-north

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has had gradual improvements in its harvest recently; however, this does not seem to help with the widespread food shortages throughout the country. More than forty percent of children are reported to suffer from chronic malnutrition in North Korea.

Approximately 6.5 million North Koreans, out of a total population of 23 million, were estimated to be dependent on international food aid. And although relief agencies lobbied for $225 million U.S. dollars worth of aid, they received on 57% of that total. This may be due to the fact that some countries appear to have cut off their aid to North Korea due to worsening relations between the country’s government and the international arena regarding North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. To make matters worse, the United Nation’s World Food Program has recently announced that it would have to cut food rations to 680,000 North Koreans due to funding shortfalls.

North Korean authorities continue to deny access to humanitarian organizations to a large portion of the country amidst reports that food aid has been diverted into the black market and international organizations could not monitor the final delivery of the food aid.

North Korea’s authoritative government continues to deny its citizens basic human rights, including freedom of movement and expression. Hundreds of North Koreans flee to China every year and those that are forcibly returned experienced prolonged interrogation and imprisonment in poor conditions. Independent human rights monitors are not granted access to the facilities or detainees.

Political opposition of any kind is not tolerated and any expression of opposing opinions that differ from that of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party are met with severe punishment, with some cases including their families. The country’s news media is harshly censored and access to international news is strictly limited. Although the Constitution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea allows religious freedom, is not tolerated in practice. Reports of harsh repression of those involved in private and public religious activities included imprisonment, torture and even execution. Most Christians are reportedly held in labor camps, facing torture and denied food due to their beliefs. These strict restrictions include domestic travel within the country and the population face punishment if found outside their country without permission.

Women have particularly been discriminated against, especially in prison settings. North Korean women detained after being forcibly returned from China were reportedly compelled to inappropriate body searches, subjected to humiliating acts by the male guards. Any women who attempted to speak up about these conditions were beaten, including elderly and pregnant detainees.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has denied reports of a woman residing in the capital city of Pyongyang becoming infected with the bird flu. Authorities stated that no outbreaks of the disease have occurred. Due to the current authoritative state of the region, disease and HIV/AIDS information has not been recorded by international organizations.

North Korea’s environmental situation is difficult to assess because of the current regime. Industrialization and urbanization have damaged some of the country’s natural environment. The April 1986 passage of an environment protection law by the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, the country's national legislature, suggested that North Korea might also have serious pollution problems.

Coal and hydropower are the two domestic sources of commercial energy that North Korea relies on for most of its energy needs. Coal accounts for approximately 82% of the country’s primary energy consumption and its electric generating capacity is split almost evenly between coal-fired thermal plants and hydroelectric plants. However, North Korea’s thermal generating capacity is underutilized due to a lack of fuels. The country also experiences many blackouts for long periods of time due to its lack of electricity and suffers power losses due to high use of overused transmission grids. Some of North Korea’s hydroelectric facilities are believed to still be out of operation due to major flood damage in 1996.

In North Korea primary and secondary education is free, as well as compulsory, for ten years, beginning at the age of five. Adult literacy rates have been reported to be 99% overall, however, the denied access of international organizations and suppression of free speech create questions.

Massive flooding in 1994 damaged and destroyed over 2,000 primary and secondary schools. According to UNESCO's EFA 2000 Assessment Report North Korea has 14,167 two-year kindergartens (with 748,416 pupils), 4,886 four-year primary schools (with 1,609,865 pupils), 4,772 six-year senior middle schools (with 2,181,524 pupils), and over 300 colleges and universities. It has been reported that the schools’ curriculum balances academic and political subject matter. Subjects range from such topics as the Korean language, mathematics, and physical education. Though, more than 8% of instructional time was spent on the "Great Kim Il Sung" and "Communist Morality."

A system of adult schools, correspondence courses, and workplace schools makes higher education widely available.

Eugene Bell Foundation - The Eugene Bell Foundation, with services specifically geared towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), supports humanitarian, religious, medical and educational programs and exchanges that reflect the Christian commitment, visions and legacy of early missionaries to Korea.

Full of Hope International - FHI is a non-sectarian educational and humanitarian organization that works to benefit the lives of socially, politically, and economically ostracized children though-out the world. FHI is allied with a few orphanages in Korea. We instruct the children in various learning programs to better suit them for attendance in institutes of higher-learning; sustaining them a more variable future. It is our dream to impact not only the children, but also the volunteers who serve; instilling the idea that charitable service helps us all to grow wiser and stronger.

The Korea Society - The Korea Society is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization with individual and corporate members that is dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea. In pursuit of its mission, the Society arranges programs that facilitate discussion, exchanges and research on topics of vital interest to both countries in the areas of public policy, business, education, intercultural relations and the arts. Funding for these programs is derived from contributions, endowments, grants, membership dues and program fees. From its base in New York City, the Society serves audiences across the country through its own outreach efforts and by forging strategic alliances with counterpart organizations in other cities throughout the United States as well as in Korea.

Korean American Family Service Center - (The Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC) was founded in 1983 by a group of Korean American women influenced by Dr. Tai Young Lee, Korea's first female lawyer and an activist for women's and children's rights. KAFSC is a non-profit, community-based organization whose programs and services are geared to the needs of the immigrant Korean population, especially women, children and low-income families, who are struggling emotionally, psychologically and socially in their adopted environment.

Liberation in North Korea - LiNK is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-ethnic and non-religious group formed in pursuit to educate the world about North Korea and to advocate for human rights, political and religious freedom, and humanitarian aid for North Korea.

Young Koreans United of USA - Young Koreans United of USA is a national organization founded in 1984 and has five chapters throughout major U.S. cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle). YKU works to promote peace, human rights and social justice in Korea and the United States through education, grassroots organizing and advocacy. YKU activities are supported by individual members and supporters.

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