North Korea's food EXPORTS to China increase by 35% this year.

[pampango]

For over 15 years, North Korea has been one of the world’s largest recipients of food aid. Last week, however, it emerged that the isolationist state may be exporting an increasing amount of food to China.

The South Korean-based NK News website reported that Chinese customs data shows the quantity of North Korean food imported to China has risen by 35% this year.

Nearly a third of North Korean children under the age of five exhibit signs of stunted growth due to malnutrition, the UN said in June 2012. It also determined, however, that the “majority of households in [North Korea] have borderline or poor food consumption” and that the total food deficit for the year would amount to around 40,000 tons.

North Korea’s critics expressed concern at the news of the food exports. “The obvious question this raises is whether North Korea has food to spare when aid workers are pleading with other governments to contribute aid for North Korea’s hungry,” wrote Joshua Stanton on the One Free Korea blog. “The best available evidence tells us that it does not.”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/14/why-north-korea-exporting-food-china

[FLPanhandle]

1. North Korea cares more about hard currency than their people starving.

Nothing surprises me anymore about that weird regime.

[tridim]

2. Just like the GOP. nt

[theHandpuppet]

3. Bingo!

Exactly right.

[derby378]

4. There have been increasing reports of North Koreans standing up to police and government officials

Perhaps the idea is if there's not as much food to go around, it'll break their spirit and make them fall in line again.

[UTUSN]

5. Incredible. But since Leader is obese, whatever he leaves must be a surplus.

[Marrah_G]

6. They keep people malnourished to keep them weak

It makes them easier to control.