[imText1]North Korea’s shortage of power is extremely serious.
North Korea’s power shortage began in the early 1990’s. As the electrical supply began to deteriorate it became difficult to use 1~2 hours of electricity a day. Recently, this situation has only worsened with electricity operating briefly during the day and darkness spreading on sunset. North Koreans only light lanterns when they have meals and with each bottle of diesel oil costing 800won, only those with leeway can afford to light a lantern to see the faces of family members during their dinner meal.
Of all the children in North Korea, more than 70% (excluding the wealthy who live in Pyongyang and those who own small generators) sleep early as there is no electricity or sit in the fire lit kitchen reading books. Meanwhile, elementary school children living in South Korea freely download MP3’s or play with their phones while awaiting the new iPhone, the latest device of complex mobile phones invented by Apple.
Some may say “Aren’t North Koreans lucky to simply be alive and not starve to death?” When people who ask this kind of question are told that at least half of North Korea’s population are eating rice, they respond that then there is no problem. As North Korean people earn a days living and then spend a days living and cannot wear warm clothes, sleep, be educated, find relatives, nor be married or conduct funerals, how could we say they are living well. If simply eating is supposed to be a joyous event, how different are we to a pig or cow.
If only electricity was supplied and North Korea’s industrial enterprises, factories, coal mines and marine equipment properly utilized, North Korea’s mass starvation could have been prevented. Who is the ringleader to drag North Korean people into the darkness of calamity and inhibit the right to use electricity for such important uses? It is precisely, Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s highest ruler and commander of nukes.
If North Korea had surrendered its nuclear developments, not only would foreign energy support have continued but nuclear skills would have been received and the power issue easily resolved. In this case, North Korea’s factories would have operated properly and fertilizer would have provided the basic needs for production. However, Kim Jong Il forfeited this hopeful path and merely engrossed in his own seat of autocratic power refused to leave the dark forces.
It is the nuclear and electricity issue that will ultimately decide whether or not Kim Jong Il is a competent enough figure to carry our development and reform.
Well then, why don’t we question whether or not Kim Jong Il is even aware of his transgressions. We can only conclude that there is no answer to this question. As long as the prudent and obtuse Kim Jong Il has sharks fin dishes on his dinner table and his father’s corpse is honored in an ostentatious palace, to him it is irrelevant whether or not hundreds and thousands of people are dying.
All his life, Kim Jong Il has lived this kind of life. The reason behind this lies in his little understanding of sin, where he would beat his friends and suddenly fall into fear while laughing and watching a video footage about middle school Korean girls, though at least immature middle school girls when educated inevitably make a confession. It almost seems too much to expect margins for development from Kim Jong Il who has no knowledge of sin.
Former President Kim Dae Jung and Minister for Unification stress the importance of high level talks every day. In a way, if these leaders could persuade Kim Jong Il to surrender his nukes and spread electricity throughout the nation then the burden should be placed onto them . However, the only thing heard are talks of improving South-North relations and the resolution of the nuclear issue yet no action.
As long as Kim Jong Il continues his obstinate “march of suffering” and nuclear armaments, there is no reason to meet him. Shaking hands with North Korea and creating a lame “peace” is dragging the North Korean people into the greater depths of darkness. Though it was once said that as long as you know your enemy and yourself, 100 battles could be won, the people who are still willing to offer a hand of reconciliation without knowing the enemy are in fact our former presidential officials.
