wfn.org | N. Korean Officials: Food Still Needed

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org (CAROL FOUKE)]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: Wendy S. McDowell, NCC, 212-870-2227
Internet: news@ncccusa.org

NCC5/7/98
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NORTH KOREAN OFFICIALS STRESS THAT FOOD NEED IS STILL
URGENT

NEW YORK, May 1 ---- Food supplies have run out in
North Korea and food shortages will continue for at least
three years, reported three North Korean officials who met
with the National Council of Churches (NCC) on May 1.

Ambassador Kim Su Man, Mr. An Song Nam and Mr. Ji Man
Bok, three officials of the Flood Damage Rehabilitation
Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
said the aim of their visit was to thank United States non-
governmental organizations, including the NCC, for their
relief aid as well as to report on the current situation in
North Korea.

The visiting officials stressed that food is still
the number one priority, although medicines, livestock and
agricultural equipment also are needed.

Mr. Victor Hsu, Director of the NCC's East Asia and
the Pacific Office, who has been responsible for handling
the humanitarian assistance to North Korea on behalf of
Church World Service, the NCC's humanitarian response
ministry, explained that even after the "crunch" time over
the next four to five months, Koreans will face another
food shortage very quickly because grain is consumed as it
is harvested.  "There is insufficient supply to save for
the future," he explained.

"We are a land limited country," Ambassador Kim said,
"yet in the past we have been able to meet our food needs
through our own production."  He said that if weather
patterns remain stable, within three years time, North
Korea hopes to "rehabilitate damaged agricultural
facilities and dams to normalize agricultural production."
So far this year, the weather has been warmer than usual
but with no threat of either flooding or drought, Mr. Hsu
said.

Ambassador Kim Su Man described the series of floods,
tidal waves and drought that have occurred three years
running (1995-97), causing a severe food shortage.  He told
stories of all his country's people, including students,
the elderly, and high-up government officials, mobilizing
to water crops by hand during the prolonged drought, "but
watering by hand can't compare to rain."

Mr. Kim explained that in 1997, North Koreans
"produced less than half of what we need" and that stored
food supplies from the 1997 harvest ran out at the end of
March 1998, making international aid the only source of
food until the early harvests in August 1998.

Ambassador Kim said that this year's first shipment
of food through the World Food Program's appeal arrived on
April 4, 1998.  The shipment included 22,000 tons worth of
food contributed by the U.S. government.  The U.S. has
pledged 200,000 tons to help alleviate what visitors to
North Korea have called "the silent famine."  Mr. Kim said
that if food amounts promised by the U.S., South Korea,
China and NGOs come in steadily over the next few months,
famine will be averted.

Still, "there are cumulative effects of malnutrition
and hunger in North Korea, including increased illness
among the young and the elderly," said Mr. Hsu.

The North Korean visitors were reluctant to talk
about political issues, saying that they came only to
discuss humanitarian concerns, but said that the increasing
exchange between North Korea and international NGOs "has
deepened our understanding of each other."

Ambassador Kim commented that the political issues
are being discussed in other fora.  He said that "the
relationship between our countries still has many barriers"
but that the kind of relationships and cooperation that
have developed in the past few years "might improve the
relations between our countries."

Mr. Hsu has commented that outreach by the North
Korean officials in recent months is one of many signals
that, step by step, North Korea is emerging from its
international isolation.

"North Korea's own willingness to look into various
ways of seeking international assistance, including low-
interest loans from the International Fund for Agricultural
Development, a UN agency, was a significant adjustment in
its basic ideology of self-reliance," Mr. Hsu said.  He
also noted that the United States abstained, rather than
opposing the UN measure to assist North Korea.  "This is
yet another clear sign that tensions between North Korea
and the United States are easing somewhat," he said.

Mr. Hsu has visited North Korea many times in recent
years.  He was part of a November visit to North Korea by a
five-member delegation from Interfaith Hunger Appeal (IHA),
a coalition of Jewish, Protestant and Catholic hunger
relief organziations.

CWS/Action by Churches Together (ACT) International
has been the coordinating agency to allow for Erich
Weingartner to be secunded to the World Food Program's
Pyongyang office, where he serves as the liaison with NGOs
for their shipments and visits.

In early April 1998, Mr. Weingartner, a member of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, reported, "The
distribution centers are already running out of last year's
harvest.  It is a constant battle against despair.
Although the prevailing ideology does not encourage
religious thinking, one can often hear even local
government officials saying, `Let's pray to God the weather
will be favorable this year!'  When I visit families,
people always thank me for the aid they received.  So, from
those who have benefitted, a big `THANK YOU.'  Please don't
stop now.  What you are providing - even more important
than the food - is a window to the world for a people who
has been isolated for half a century.  You are giving them
a small piece of hope - something which says, `Someone out
there cares about me.'"

Since 1995, as part of the ACT appeal, CWS has sent
nearly $2.4 million worth of rice, corn, barley, beef,
antibiotics, blankets, and clothing to help alleviate the
famine-related suffering in North Korea.  Shipments of
antibiotics, clothing, edible oil and sugar arrived in
April 1998 and CWS is working on another shipment of grain
(rice or corn) to go in the coming months.  CWS has also
purchased ten sets of vinyl greenhouses, each covering an
area of about 50 square meters.  They will arrive this
month.  The consignees of these shipments are the Korean
Christians Federation, the World Food Program and the Flood
Damage Rehabilitation Committee.

Mr. Hsu is making another visit from May 16 to 19
this year to witness the distribution of the edible oil,
sugar and greenhouses.  He will be a guest of the Korean
Christians Federation.

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