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North Koreans Eating Their Own Kids: Reports

Cannibalism on the rise amid food shortage, informants say

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 28, 2013 5:05 PM CST

(Newser) – Rumors of cannibalism are emerging from North Korea during a food shortage that may have killed 10,000 people last year, Global Post reports. In one gruesome tale, authorities allegedly executed a father for killing and eating two of his kids: "While his wife was away on business he killed his eldest daughter and because his son saw what he had done, he killed his son as well," said an informant. "When the wife came home he offered her food, saying 'We have meat.'"

But she grew suspicious and alerted authorities, who discovered parts of the children's remains "under the eaves." Informants also tell of a man arrested for digging up and eating his dead grandchild, and "a man who went mad with hunger" and boiled his child for dinner, the Independent reports. Meanwhile Pyongyang is waving its sword around, threatening to fire a nuclear missile at the US and take "strong physical countermeasures" if South Korea "participates in the so-called UN 'sanctions.'"

South Korean children watch the progress from under a picture of a North Korean child suffering from famine during a rally in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012.
South Korean children watch the progress from under a picture of a North Korean child suffering from famine during a rally in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012.   (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man)
In this Oct. 25, 2011, file photo, a North Korean woman carries her baby on her back as she walks past farm fields at a collective farm near Suriwon, North Korea.
In this Oct. 25, 2011, file photo, a North Korean woman carries her baby on her back as she walks past farm fields at a collective farm near Suriwon, North Korea.   (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 241 comments
SamDebater
Feb 27, 2013 11:41 PM CST
North Korea's military and North Korea's government leaders are not starving. They are well-fed, well-equipped and well-trained, at least compared to the average North Korean. It is the common person who is starving in North Korea. Their military sucks up all their resources. Yes, the son has power; he has ordered and had carried out the executions of several people from his father's cabinet. One man he had tied to a stake and executed by launching a mortar barrage on him "so nothing would remain."
BlackDeath
Feb 6, 2013 11:29 AM CST
The underlying problem is that the people of North Korea need to standup for themselves and take action against a goverment that cares little about its own people.  Sending them food and aid will not solve the problem, as the food will go to the ones not needing it or be sold for money to fund its military projects.  Iran, China, and Russia have been supporting North Korea's research into nuclear weapons and missle technology, maybe they should be the ones feeding them as well.
kenburke
Jan 30, 2013 10:13 PM CST
The problem with sending aid and assistance to North Korea is that it is always stolen by the communist elite and the military. 
 

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