hankyoreh

North Korea appears to be facing a serious food shortage. The U.N. World Food Program, which has staff stationed in Pyongyang, said that the North is facing the threat of a major famine on the scale of a similar one in the mid-1990s. Crop yields have decreased by one quarter compared with previous years due to floods that swept the nation last summer and the fact that international grain prices have skyrocketed have left the North even more vulnerable. According to WFP data, grain prices at the market have risen as much as 186 percent in recent weeks, hitting a global high. Moreover, South Korea, Japan and the United States are using food as leverage for negotiations with the reclusive nation. It is not difficult to see that the North is facing its worst situation to date.

The North Korean authorities should take primary responsibility for the food crisis because, even if it is unable to improve its agriculture, Pyongyang has not actively sought the help of the international community. Even though the entire world is suffering from grain price increases, the international community still considers food assistance to the North to be important. If the North Korean authorities commit to being more transparent about distribution methods, even more food aid could be provided.

We worry about the situation that international food aide can not meet the real need of the North Korean at the right time due to the North Korean authority’s passive attitude.

Seoul is also to blame for the current situation. Since the 2000 inter-Korean summit, the government has regularly provided the North with food assistance based on humanitarian principles. This has not only eased the food shortage, but also made a great contribution to the improvement of inter-Korean relations. The new government has stressed that it will not link humanitarian aid to the nuclear issue, but has not yet provided food assistance to the North. Seoul has apparently taken the position that it will consider providing food assistance only if there is request from Pyongyang.

Such an attitude, however, is unrealistic as well as inhumane. Relations between the two Koreas have hit a snag. The North expressed its dissatisfaction after the administration of President Lee Myung-bak linked the nuclear issue to inter-Korean relations and ignored existing agreements, including the October 4 South-North Joint Declaration. Prolonging the situation is not desirable for South or North.

Seoul recently announced that it would not be hostile to Pyongyang and would participate in dialogue with it at anytime if necessary, which can be interpreted to mean that the South will try to improve relations with the North. In that case, the two sides should restore their basic trust - and food assistance is the starting point. The government should send food to the North without attaching any conditions. If the South demonstrates its good will, the North won’t reject it.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]