Starving for Truth: Part 1 - What Caused the North Korean Famine of the 90's #NorthKorea #Famine

If you’ve listened to Yeonmi Park’s interview on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast or have read anything about the lives of everyday North Korean people, it is clear that hunger is the defining experience of the majority of North Koreans that are alive today. This experience came to a crescendo during the North Korean Famine. The story of the famine is one of needless suffering and death. And over 20 years later, this famine still echoes into the everyday lives of North Koreans around the world.

Crossing Borders has close relationships with many refugees in China and South Korea. As we have listened to thousands of testimonies, we have come to understand the famine’s indelible mark on the North Korean psyche.

In this series we will examine the famine’s causes, what happened during the North Korean Famine and its devastating effects.

Juche (self reliance) 01:52
USSR Collapse 03:15
Excessive Fertilizer Use 04:10
Natural Disasters 05:10
Mixed Signals 06:24
Conclusion 08:19

JUCHE
First, let’s talk about North Korea’s Juche or self-reliance philosophy. The founding principal of North Korea is what is at the heart of North Korea’s central problem in the ‘90s. Juche is the law, the Bible and constitution in North Korea. In fact, the capital city Pyongyang is oriented around their iconic Juche tower.

The reality of a famine conflicted with their core ideology of self-sufficiency. It was difficult for North Korea to seek help and even report the truth to the necessary people because of this dissonance.

USSR Collapse
Second, the fall of the Soviet Union. While all the contributing factors shared in this video were present before the fall of the Soviet Union, when the USSR, collapsed it created a perfect storm of all the horrible factors that lead to the famine. The USSR was North Korea’s safety net. They bought North Korea’s low-quality exports when no one else would.

Excessive Fertilizer Use
Third, mismanagement and overfertilization of farmland. In the decades leading up to the famine, North Korea experienced rapid growth in their farm production due to the use of modern chemical fertilizers. The government believed so deeply in the effectiveness of these chemicals that they used more and more as years went on.

Natural Disasters
Fourth, natural disasters. A series of natural disasters ruined the already struggling and mismanaged land. This hampered the North Korean government’s ability to adequately sustain its people. The production of food dropped to critical levels.

Mixed Signals
In September of 1995 North Korea’s diplomatic representatives made a stunning appeal to the World Food Program for help. This appeal was unknown to the isolated people of North Korea. The plea for assistance was startling to international neighbors because, much like today, the DPRK of the 90’s boasted of its military and economic prowess.

A call for help was a shock to the ears of world leaders. It was unheard of and, most importantly, it was a sign that North Korea was in dire straits. It became quickly apparent that disaster was brewing.

The principal issues that ultimately caused the great North Korean famine started well before 1995, when the famine is widely believed to have started. These issues cut to the core of the identity of the North Korean regime. What happened as a result was suffering on a massive scale.

The mission of Crossing Borders is to show the compassion of Christ to North Koreans and their children.

Crossing Borders Ministry is a Christian, faith-based 501(c)3 non-profit that offers assistance to North Korean refugees and their children living in China and South Korea.

Elim House is a new initiative launched in 2020 to provide respite housing to battered North Korean women who live in South Korea. Learn more here:

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[AndreaSooHill]

Breaks my heart for my fellow brothers and sisters...I am half Korean and Caucasian.

[jayst]

God bless you for the work you have been doing. The suffering the North Koreans have been going through is so horrible. Thank you for helping them.