Anna Oda
October 21,1998

"Medical Charity Leaving North Korea"
by John Pomfret ( Washington Post )
9/29/98

SUMMRY

This article is about various circumstances around the major charity groups leaving North Korea. Because of the government behavior, the government has neglected the situation such as children suffering from loss of food and medicine in spite of receiving donation. Previously, children who do not have parents or a place to live had been forced to be in centers called " 9-27 Camps " as the policy of normalizing the country. However, the United States announced that they decided to increase the donation of food. The view of Western aid is that although American contributions for North Korea has not helped to improve the situation, compared to contributions of the major charity groups, it avoids attacking South Korea which has a U.S base.

RESPONSE

When I went back to Japan for a vacation, Japanese government announced that North Korea tested to fire a missile, and it passed over Japan. After a while, North Korea government announced it was the test of a satellite, but I have had anxiety of what they are going to do next since then. This article is not about their movement, but I was very surprised about their audacious behavior. It seems egotistical to me. I wonder if people know that the government has received donation. The situation in North Korea can lead to a rebellion. I assume the reason why they do not rebel against the government comes from the education. The government has inculcated on people that they have to obey the North Korean leader. Another way to say is that they do not know what a rebellion is because nobody has taught them and done that. I realized that education has a strong power to control people from this article again.

VOCABURALY

1. neglect (verb): to not pay enough attention to someone or something
neglectful (adj.)
neglectfully (adv.)
" Officials of Doctors Without Borders said they were concerned that the North Korean government was applying a double standard, feeding children from families loyal to the regime while neglecting others. "

2. regime (noun): a government that has not been elected in fair elections
regiment (verb, noun)
regimen (noun)
" Officials of Doctors Without Borders said they were concerned that the North Korean government was applying a double standard, feeding children from families loyal to the regime while neglecting others. "

3. malnourished (adj.): ill or weak because of not eating enough food
malnutrition (noun)
" The biggest international charity operating in North Korea announced Tuesday it is pulling out because the communist government has denied it access to a large population of malnourished and sick children. "

4. refugee (noun): someone who has been forced to leave his/her country especially during a war refuge (verb)
" Conditions at those camps are believed to be horrific, the officials said, citing interviews with North Korea refugees from those centers who had escaped into China. "

5. divert (verb): to change the direction or purpose of something
diversion (noun)
" Western aid officials said that compared to the European charities, the Americans have been even less successful in ensuring that their aid is not being diverted to Communist Party loyalists or the army.

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