[“Good Friends” aims to help the North Korean people from a humanistic point of view and publishes “North Korea Today” describing the way the North Korean people live as accurately as possible. We at Good Friends also hope to be a bridge between the North Korean people and the world.]
Rice, Water and Fuel for North Koreans
North Koreans are in urgent need of food, safe drinking water and fuel for heating.Their poor living conditions get worse in the winter. Clean water becomes scarce when the rivers freeze up, and the same goes for food and fuel. A common cold can develop into a serious illness due to lack of medicine. People freeze to death in homes with inadequate heating systems. These deaths went unheeded during the period of mourning for last Kim Jong Il. While the international community is preoccupied with the death of Kim Jong Il, those truly in need of attention are the nameless North Korean citizens who are struggling to survive. The newly appointed leaders are far too busy attending the national mourning, and their capabilities to take care of their citizens are questionable. South Korea, however, has the capacity to save the lives of North Koreans. The South Korean government should take an altruistic stance toward North Korean people and provide them with clean water, food, and adequate fuel. We hope the international community would offer a helping hand as well to the suffering North Koreans and actively engage in humanitarian aid programs in the near future.