U.S.’ Withholding Food from N.K. Is Shameful

The New York Times blamed the U.S. government for its suspension of food shipments to North Korea after the North Korea nuclear crisis erupted in its Feb. 8 edition.

In an editorial titled "The Desperate Refugees of North Korea" the newspaper noted, "Today’s refugee emergency is a forestate of what might happen if the North Korean regime collapsed."

It also pointed out, "Pressuring North’s leaders and military programs is sound policy. But withholding food from starving people is shameful and likely to make the refugee problem still worse."

On the premise that "Though less threatening that nuclear weapons programs, this is a dimension of the Korean crisis Washington cannot afford to ignore," the newspaper reported that according to some estimates, as many as one million people "have starved to death over the past decade," and that "more than 200,000 North Koreans have fled to northeastern China in recent years trying to save themselves and their families from famine." It also explained, "Fearing the consequences of such an implosion, China and South Korea have been reluctant to pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear moves."

The newspaper criticized that China’s deporting North Korean refugees back home as soon as they are hunted down "is inexcusable," stressing that "a more humane and orderly approach to absorbing current and future refugees from North Korea must be found without delay."

Kwan-Hee Hong konihong@donga.com