DATE=4/28/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43248
TITLE=NORTH KOREA FOOD
BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  NORTH KOREA HAS APPARENTLY RUN OUT OF FOOD FROM ITS LAST 
HARVEST AND IS NOW DISTRIBUTING EDIBLE ROOTS AND BARK.  THE HEAD 
OF AN AMERICAN AID ORGANIZATION WHO TRAVELS REGULARLY TO NORTH 
KOREA SAYS IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR TO BE 
ESPECIALLY LEAN.  BUT HE SAYS THE OVERALL SITUATION SEEMS BETTER 
THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR.  V-O-A'S STEPHANIE MANN REPORTS.

TEXT:  THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAM SAYS NORTH KOREA'S 
FOOD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM RAN OUT OF FOOD FROM THE LAST HARVEST IN
EARLY APRIL, AND THE NEXT CROPS ARE NOT EXPECTED UNTIL JUNE.  IN 
THE MEANWHILE, NORTH KOREA IS GIVING OUT ALTERNATIVE FOODS, SUCH 
AS ROOTS, GRASSES, SEAWEED AND TREE BARK, AND THE WORLD FOOD 
PROGRAM IS MAKING A NEW APPEAL FOR MORE INTERNATIONAL DONATIONS. 

STEPHEN LINTON IS CHAIRMAN OF THE EUGENE BELL FOUNDATION, A SMALL
NOT-FOR-PROFIT AMERICAN ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES MEDICINE TO 
TREAT TUBERCULOSIS IN NORTH KOREA.  HE VISITS NORTH KOREA OFTEN 
-- HIS MOST RECENT TRIP WAS IN MARCH.  HE ONLY SPENDS A FEW DAYS 
IN THE CAPITAL, PYONGYANG, AND THE REST OF THE TIME HE TRAVELS TO
HOSPITALS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE COUNTRY. 

MR. LINTON SAYS BECAUSE OF NATURAL HARVEST CYCLES, IT IS COMMON 
FOR FOOD SUPPLIES TO BE LOW IN THE LATE SPRING -- THE MONTHS OF 
APRIL AND MAY.

                      // LINTON ACT ONE // 

         TRADITIONALLY, KOREANS CALL THIS TIME OF YEAR "THE 
         BARLEY PASS," MEANING THAT IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR 
         BEFORE THE FIRST BARLEY HARVEST WOULD ORDINARILY BE 
         GATHERED IN.  THE LATE SPRING IS THE TOUGHEST TIME OF 
         YEAR FOR NORTH KOREANS AND TRADITIONALLY FOR ALL 
         KOREANS.  SO, IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT THE FOOD 
         SITUATION WOULD BE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT AT THIS POINT.

                         // END ACT // 

/// OPT /// MR. LINTON SAYS NORTH KOREA'S FOOD SHORTAGE IS 
FURTHER AGGRAVATED BY THE SCHEDULE OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD AID.  
GENERALLY, HE SAYS, APPEALS ARE MADE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 
YEAR, AND FOOD DONATIONS ARRIVE LATER IN THE CALENDAR YEAR.

             // LINTON ACT TWO //   /// OPT ACT ///

         UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF THE INTERNATIONAL AID HAS COME 
         IN AROUND THE FALL HARVEST TIME, WHICH IS ALRIGHT.  IT'S
         JUST THAT EVEN IF YOU ONLY PRODUCE, OR ONLY HAVE ON HAND
         HALF THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THAT YOU NEED PER YEAR, YOU HAVE
         ALL OF THAT FOOD IN THE FALL, SO THAT IT DOESN'T 
         ENCOURAGE (THE) ECONOMY TO GET SUBSIDIES FROM THE 
         OUTSIDE DURING THE FALL PERIOD.  MUCH BETTER TO HAVE IT 
         ARRIVE EARLY SPRING, SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE NEED IT THE 
         MOST, IT IS AVAILABLE. 

               // END ACT //   /// END OPT ACT ///

MR. LINTON SAYS LAST FALL'S HARVEST IN NORTH KOREA WAS A LITTLE 
BETTER THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS, SO THE FOOD SITUATION NOW IS NOT 
AS DESPERATE AS IT HAD BEEN.  HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL A SHORTAGE 
OF AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZER AND HE SAYS THAT WILL 
CONTINUE TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD PRODUCED.

NORTH KOREA HAS FOLLOWED A DOCTRINE OF SELF-RELIANCE IN THE PAST 
BUT WAS HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON BARTER TRADE AND AID FROM THE FORMER
SOVIET BLOC.  MR. LINTON SAYS AS LONG AS ECONOMIC SANCTIONS 
PREVENT NORTH KOREA FROM EXPORTING TO THE OUTSIDE, THE COUNTRY 
WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EARN REVENUES THAT IT COULD USE TO IMPORT 
FOOD.  BUT HE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT NORTH KOREA IS RELUCTANT TO 
CHANGE ITS SYSTEM -- EITHER TO ALTER ITS METHODS OF AGRICULTURAL 
PRODUCTION OR TO BUILD AN EXPORT-ORIENTED ECONOMY. 

// OPT //  MR. LINTON, WHO IS ALSO AN ASSOCIATE AT HARVARD 
UNIVERSITY'S KOREA INSTITUTE, SAYS NORTH KOREA WILL NEVER BE ABLE
TO PRODUCE ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED ITS APPROXIMATELY 24 MILLION 
PEOPLE.  HE SAYS THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE ON TOO LITTLE LAND.  

            // LINTON ACT THREE //   /// OPT ACT ///

         AND NORTH KOREA IS VERY MOUNTAINOUS.  THE CLIMATE IS 
         FAIRLY COLD.  THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE NATURAL RESOURCES
         TO PRODUCE ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED THEIR OWN PEOPLE.  
         THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEPEND ON AN EXPORT ECONOMY 
         JUST AS PEOPLE HAVE IN THE SOUTH. 

              // END ACT //    /// END OPT ACT ///

MR. LINTON SAYS DURING HIS RECENT TRAVELS TO NORTH KOREA HE HAS 
NOTICED SOME SMALL CHANGES IN THE ECONOMY FROM JUST A FEW YEARS 
AGO. 

                      // LINTON ACT FOUR //

         /// OPT /// IN 1997, THERE WERE A LOT OF INTERNALLY 
         DISPLACED PEOPLE UNDER GREAT STRESS.  WE STILL SEE 
         PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY HUNGRY.  BUT IN GENERAL, THE NUMBERS
         OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DISPLACED AS A RESULT OF THIS FAMINE 
         SEEM TO HAVE DROPPED. /// END OPT /// YOU SEE A LOT MORE
         INFORMAL MARKETS.  YOU SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE ROAD 
         TRAVELLING FROM ONE CENTER OF POPULATION TO THE OTHER 
         WITH THINGS TO SELL.  THERE'S A LOT MORE INFORMAL 
         ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAN THERE HAS BEEN BEFORE.  THIS HAS 
         BEEN ON THE INCREASE. 

                         // END ACT // 

MR. LINTON SAYS THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT SEEMS TO BE MAKING AN
ADJUSTMENT TO ALLOW FOR THE INCREASE IN INFORMAL FARMERS' 
MARKETS.  HE SAYS AN ARTICLE IN THE OFFICIAL WORKERS' DAILY 
NEWSPAPER A FEW MONTHS AGO EXPLAINED THAT SUCH MARKETS ARE NOT 
INCONSISTENT WITH NORTH KOREA'S VERSION OF SOCIALISM.  MR. LINTON
SAYS THIS INFORMAL PRIVATE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY CAN BE SEEN AS THE 
BEGINNING OF A MARKET ECONOMY ON A VERY SMALL SCALE.  (SIGNED)

NEB/SMN/GE

28-Apr-99 11:58 AM EDT (1558 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.