Who’s feeding KJL’s troops?
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean rice aid intended for hungry North Koreans is believed to have been diverted to the communist nation’s military, an official said Thursday.
South Korean border guards have observed front-line North Korean units unloading sacks bearing the logo of the South’s Korean National Red Cross from late 2006 until recently, the Defense Ministry official said.
Some 400 sacks ended up with the North Korean army on about 10 occasions, according to observations by surveillance equipment at South Korean military posts along the heavily fortified border with the North, he said.
“We presume the sacks contained rice,” the official told The Associated Press, asking not to be named, citing the sensitivity of the issue. But he said it was unclear what was inside the bags because no South Koreans inspected them.
Most South Korean aid is delivered to the North by sea, so it would be unusual to find North Korean soldiers along the land border handling the rice.
North Korea’s military is given priority in receiving the impoverished country’s scarce resources under the “military-first” policy of leader Kim Jong Il. The 1.1 million-member military, the world’s fifth largest, is the backbone of Kim’s totalitarian rule.
If I remember correctly, the justification for this is that South Koreans will feel good even if food goes to hungry soldiers. That’s great until one realizes they are feeding the beast that may eat them one day. If you follow this issue, this is typical “unification” policy that contains all fluff and no substance.
