"So what does Pyongyang want? It wants diplomatic recognition from the United States – and cash to help its moribund economy that has been devastated by famine and years of mismanagement. The real question for me, however, is: What will this sabre-rattling mean for North Korea’s hunger crisis?"
"One news agency based in Japan reported that thousands of people may have in certain food producing area last year, even as the country was staging mass celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary the birth of the state’s founder Kim il-sung."
- Tim Large, Editor, Thomson Reuters Foundation
Every week, Thomson Reuters Foundation correspondents offer distilled insight on pressing issues. Two-Minute Talking Points bring you concise commentary from the front lines of humanitarian crises, climate change, corruption and human rights.
I’m Tim Large and today’s talking point is the temperature in North Korea.
Not only the very extreme weather condition of this time of the year, but also the political temperature after Pyongyang’s nuclear test the other day, which has brought diplomatic tensions to near boiling point.
Feel the heat both in the international condemnation, but also in the inflammatory rhetoric also from North Korea itself, which has not for the first time threatened the “total annulation” of South Korea.
At the same time Reuters bureau in Beijing has broken exclusive news that North Korea has told China – its traditional alien - it’s prepared to do one or two more nuclear tests this year, apparently in a bid to bring Washington to the diplomatic negotiate table.
All of which dashes earlier hopes that North Korea’s young leader, Kim Jong-un, might deviate from his father, provocation and isolation.
Last year we saw Kim Jong-un at a pop concert.
We saw him at a funfair.
We saw him with his wife wearing Western clothing.
But despite these superficial trappings of maternity, he remains very much his father’s son – not afraid to test the limits of brinkmanship.
So what does Pyongyang want?
It wants diplomatic recognition from the United States – and cash to help its moribund economy that has been devastated by famine and years of mismanagement.
The real question for me, however, is: What will this sabre-rattling mean for North Korea’s hunger crisis?
Truth is, it’s hard to know – very limited information from North Korea, one of the the most recursive countries in the world.
Certainly we are not talking about famine in 1990s, up to a million people died of extreme hunger.
In October 2011, AlertNet gained unprecedented access to an important food-producing region to the southwest of Pyongyang, very key food producing area.
What we saw images like these:
Children severely stunted by malnutrition.
Primary schools run out any kind of food.
Health centres without medicines.
Crops destroyed by floods.
About the same time, the United Nations estimated a third of children were malnourished.
Since then, it’s all been a bit vague.
One news agency based in Japan reported that thousands of people may have in certain food producing area last year, even as the country was staging mass celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary the birth of the state’s founder Kim il-sung.
What is clear is that the latest nuclear test – and any more that might follow – won’t be good for supply of food.
North Korea is almost the most sanctioned country in the world. What we are going to see is more sanctioned.
The European Union has already agreed to restrict trade. The United states is likely to do the same.
Experts say China would probably go along with any tough sanction against the North – although China wouldn’t cut food and fuel supplies, as it seems to have done after a previous nuclear test.
Whatever happens, it is sure that it’s ordinary people who stand to suffer the most. This is certainly a story we’ll be keeping an eye on, so do stay tuned.
