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As a Korean, it hurts to think about the millions of civilians in North Korea suffering and dying from mistreatment and neglect. Of course, there is much blame on the state for providing only the absolute minimum to survive, but there are also outside factors to consider, the most important one of them being sanctions.
Sanctions are a form of punishment from a country imposed on another to prevent them from accessing international resources. The most notable is economic sanctions, which are usually used to prevent a country from accessing the US banking system and the US dollar. North Korea is one of the most (if not the most) heavily-sanctioned countries in the world, and it is not doing anyone any good.
Trump increased sanctions on North Korea to force them to dismantle their entire nuclear arsenal, not to get rid of a few nuclear sites. This was counterintuitive, as Kim increased testing and research. However, because of the economic sanctions, North Korea had less funds than before, so they spent money saved for the public to improve their nuclear weapon programs. Because North Koreans live off of rations, they now have even less to eat.
If the US were to release some pressure off of North Korea and lower their demands in terms of nuclear weapons, there is more room for cooperation. North Korea knows well they do not have much funds and resources, and if the outside world is willing to cooperate economically, North Korea may be as well to follow through with some requests.
However, we must keep in mind this is for the good of the people. Millions of North Korean civilians mainly or completely rely on their government for support in their daily lives, but if the government is unable to, only will more people suffer and die. As global citizens, we have the opportunity and ability to make a change from the outside by contacting representatives from your state and the federal government to support the relief of US sanctions on North Korea. The North Korean Freedom Coalition is a major player in the field of human rights as well, so visit their site to learn more.
Sydney P
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