Kim Jong-Il orders landmark plea for aid as famine pushes his nation towards collapse
In a dramatic and poignant sign of a state nearing collapse, North Korea has asked its embassies to appeal to foreign governments for aid to feed a population close to starvation.
The plea for help poses a major dilemma for the international community on how to deal with a totalitarian regime, which it accuses of developing a nuclear arsenal while, at the same time, facing massive and endemic deprivation.
The US stopped food aid to the country two years ago after continuing friction over Pyongyang's stance on atomic weaponry and South Korea has drastically reduced its contributions following a series of clashes including the capsizing of a warship last year. In the latest incident, North Korean forces shelled a South Korean island, Yeonpyeong, in November. Military talks aimed at defusing tensions between the two countries have broken down with no date set for any further meetings.
Read the whole article on: independent.co.uk
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