North Korea’s Bid for Survival

By Sue H.

North Korea once traded with many communist countries and scoffed at pressure to shut down their nuclear program. With sweeping changes of free markets emerging in formerly closed communist nations, North Korea has become increasingly isolated and stranded in its ideology. Even China has exerted increased pressure on them to disarm not wanting this nuclear threat in their own backyard.

Yongbyon Tower destroyed

On June 26, 2008, China received a 60 page declaration from North Korea detailing plutonium production at the Yongbyon plant since 1986. North Korea admitted to producing close to 40 kilograms of enriched plutonium, enough for about 7 nuclear bombs according to the U.S. State Department. On June 27 the cooling tower at Yongbyon was destroyed by North Korea as a show of good faith.

In response to the destruction of the cooling tower, the United States has removed North Korea from the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, and some U.S. sanctions will be lifted. Experts agree that sanctions coupled with the lack of arable land have seriously weakened North Korea, making it impossible for it to feed its people.

The time is ripe for North Korea to cooperate in disarmament and verification to keep from total collapse. Even with the delivery of promised oil and emergency aid, much of it will arrive too late to help hundreds of thousands of people.

Alpha Relief is poised to move quickly should the tightly controlled borders become more accessible. During this window of opportunity, Alpha Relief asks that you pray for international trade routes to open into North Korea, which would greatly benefit our deliveries of crucial food aid and Bibles.

~ by alpharelief on July 23, 2008.