Anthony
(2) Famine Reportedly Kills Two Million in North Korea
[CND, 02/12/98] The South China Morning Post quoted a Korean official in
Beijing as saying that about two million North Koreans, which accounts for
about 10 percent of its population, had died in the famine, AFP reported on
Wednesday. The middle-ranking official was a well-connected Worker's Party
member, according to the newspaper. The newspaper also reported that
thousands of North Koreans were fleeing to China. One refugee said eight
people in her train carriage had starved to death during the three-day trip
from her hometown to the border. Some accused the military and officials of
stocking the food from the international communities for themselves and
their families. North Korea's agricultural productions were heavily damaged
by the floods in 1995 to 1996, followed by last year's drought, tidal waves
and typhoons. (Weijun LIU, Ray ZHANG)