A leading Japanese daily says while North Korea is pursuing its nuclear ambitions despite international community’s condemnation, the plight of its people is worsening.
 
The Asahi Shimbun on Tuesday quoted a travel agent based in China who traveled to the North’s northeastern district of Rason this month, as saying that he heard from a local that 300 people died of starvation this winter in Rason alone.
 
The North is said to have enjoyed a bumper crop last year but the daily ration for Rason residents is said to stand at merely 300 grams.
 
The report said that Chinese rice has appeared in black markets but that its price is soaring. The daily also noted that food aid provided by the international community has declined due to the North’s nuclear tests.
 
The travel agent said that he spotted people hiding out in the woods in an attempt to escape the North near the border with China but that their attempts appear to be nearly impossible as border security has been tightened.
 
The daily projected that the number of North Koreans in rural areas who attempt to escape their homeland out of despair is likely to rise amid speculation that the North could launch another ballistic missile around April 15th when it will mark the 105th birthday of its founder Kim Il-sung.
 

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