A Smaller Army, in More Ways Than One
Chronic food shortages will considerably reduce North Korea’s pool of military recruits in the coming years, with nearly a quarter of young adults unfit for service due to malnutrition-related mental disabilities, a U.S. intelligence report said. [Yonhap]
Malnutrition may also be taking an intellectual toll on North Koreans:
The famine of the 1990s has caused severe cognitive deficiencies among young North Koreans, said the report by the National Intelligence Council that used studies from several U.S. intelligence agencies.
I doubt don’t that the misrule of the Kims will also take a severe toll on the North Korean people morally and psychologically as well. It will take generations for North Korea to recover from this era.
i think this rebuttal by DPRK re: how unfit their soldiers are really rubbed the DPRK government the wrong way:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/01/25/N_Korea_disputes_military_recruit_claims/UPI-69921232899311/
i think i’m also getting used to that pattern recently. when there is some media in the world that really irks the DPRK, they refute it pretty quickly. they don’t stand back and be calm about it.
i.e the whole thing about KJI being ready to kick the bucket, they showered the world with a bunch of fake pictures constantly. the whole thing about the balloons being sent, they made a big stink. and now this.
i would also suggest that whomever is making the rebuttal to be sent to some sort of high school debate class as the rebuttal is pretty weak.
yes…..the american health system is poor, but at least in america our doctors have proper equipment and medicine to practice medicine including electricity. i mean….kji himself probably didn’t dare touched by a NK doctor during his stroke ordeal.