News & Insights

Tag: Poverty

  • Up to 16% of Theft, A result of Former Army Officers

    Up to 16% of Theft, A result of Former Army Officers

    A source in Jagang province told Daily NK recently that there has been a noticeable increase in former officers’ involvement in theft related crimes this month.

    “The political department of the provincial police considers this a serious issue and officially notified the provincial party committee on March 22,” the source said.

    According to the political department’s report, discharged officers were involved in dozens of poverty-related crimes in March, accounting for approximately 16% of all crimes in the province.

    Link to Article

  • Outside Information: One of the Keys to Empowering North Korean Citizens as Agents of Change

    Outside Information: One of the Keys to Empowering North Korean Citizens as Agents of Change

    The opacity of North Korean society—with outsiders having limited access to the country. North Korean citizens are often only seen as the victims—powerless and disconnected from the rest of the world. Because of this perception, decades of international efforts to engage and access the restrictive state have neglected to consider its people as a key partner in effecting change inside North Korea.

    However, evidence over the past two decades has shown that the North Korean people have survived poverty and repression by becoming more independent from the regime, claiming greater agency over their own lives. Recognizing the people are an integral part of the solution to security, human rights and humanitarian challenges in North Korea, the international community needs to do more than just stand on the side of North Korean citizens; it needs to empower them so that that they can play a key role in holding the regime accountable.

    https://www.38north.org/2023/06/outside-information-one-of-the-keys-to-empowering-north-korean-citizens-as-agents-of-change