Kim Ju-ae and Shin Mu-gi Featured in North Korea Military Parade... "Solve the Food Shortage First"

"40% Suffer from Malnutrition"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As North Korea showcased its military power through the 75th anniversary parade of the founding of the Korean People's Army, human rights organizations are increasingly criticizing the regime to first address the problems of North Korean residents suffering from food shortages.

According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 10th, Amnesty International pointed out to Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, that "instead of holding a parade mobilizing numerous soldiers and residents in the severe cold, the food shortages of these people should be prioritized and resolved."

Amnesty International stated, "North Korea is preparing a showy military parade, but more than 40% of North Korean residents are suffering from malnutrition amid widespread food insecurity," adding, "The scale and severity of human rights violations in North Korea demand the attention of the international community."

The Human Rights Foundation also focused on the fact that many crowds attended the parade in the middle of winter cold, pointing out that "this confirms the cruelty of the North Korean dictatorship." The foundation urged, "In a country where more than 40% of the population suffers from chronic malnutrition, forcing many crowds to attend a military parade for a long time in subzero temperatures is a disgusting act," and "The North Korean regime should pay attention to the basic needs of its people instead of spending enormous resources on developing weapons of mass destruction and holding such shows."

North Korea held a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on the 8th, marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army, according to the Korean Central News Agency on the 9th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

This criticism follows North Korea's display of a new strategic weapon, presumed to be a solid-fuel-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), at the parade on the 8th, showcasing its nuclear military power.

Notably, Kim Jong-un's daughter, Kim Ju-ae, appeared at the event, drawing attention. Kim Ju-ae, who appeared holding his hand, was called upon before her mother, Ri Sol-ju, during the parade. Some speculate about the 'Kim Ju-ae successor theory,' citing that all five public appearances of Kim Ju-ae were military-related events and that in the released photos, she was positioned at the very center alongside Kim Jong-un.

However, North Korea's food shortage crisis has been prolonged recently. According to 38 North, a U.S.-based North Korea specialist media outlet, last month, the situation has reached the most severe level since the great famine of the 1990s. North Korea experienced a great famine known as the "Arduous March" from the mid-1990s to around 2000, during which hundreds of thousands reportedly died of starvation.

38 North pointed out that North Korea has suffered chronic food insecurity due to decades of economic mismanagement and the current regime's domestic and foreign policies. The food situation worsened further as the food supply chain collapsed and the spread of COVID-19 overlapped.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.