North Korea to eject foreign aid agencies

By Barbara Demick
Los Angeles Times

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

While not rejecting humanitarian aid entirely, North Korea has told the United Nations that it wants to discontinue an annual fund-raising appeal that started in 1995 at the height of a famine that killed an estimated 2 million people. Officials also want to shut down some smaller aid agencies that they view as an intrusive presence.

North Korea appeared to be rolling back what were earlier this year seen as encouraging moves to open up the country.

Among other signs of retrenchment, the North recently said it was pulling out of six-party negotiations on its nuclear program. It has ratcheted up its rhetoric about the program, as evidenced by Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon's statement Monday at the U.N. General Assembly that plutonium from 8,000 fuel rods had been converted for use in weapons. Last week, the regime undercut its rapprochement with Japan by threatening to turn its neighbor into a "nuclear sea of fire" in the event of war between the North and the United States.

Dialogue also has been suspended between South Korea and the regime in Pyongyang, the North's capital.

Aside from diplomatic ramifications, the North's restrictions on aid groups are troubling in that they put at risk hundreds of thousands of people, particularly children, suffering from malnutrition and stunted growth.

"I don't know if this will cause another famine, but it is very disturbing because the North still needs food and its behavior will inevitably reduce donations," said Lee Jong Mo, director of a large Seoul-based aid agency.

Diplomats familiar with the dispute say North Korea resents the monitoring requirements imposed by the United Nations and the presence of a small but growing expatriate community in Pyongyang that has accompanied the assistance. Officials in the North also are said to be angry that aid for rebuilding the country has been delayed because of the prolonged standoff over the nuclear weapons issue.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More nation & world headlines...