Kim Jong Il at a World Vision agricultural project in North Korea
Posted 8/3/05
By Thomas Omestad
Oh Jae Shik is national director for North Korea at World Vision, the international Christian aid group. Based in Seoul, South Korea, he has visited North Korea 16 times since 2003, most recently in late July. He has traveled to eight cities and counties in four provinces, in many cases to visit World Vision project sites, which are located in six of the nation's eight provinces.
World Vision started with emergency aid in 1995 with food, clothes, and medicines. This is still continuing although World Vision's priority had shifted to development assistance in earlier stage.
In 1996, World Vision started one noodle-producing factory. This was expanded to six factories in 1997. Between 1997 and 2003, World Vision helped a local partner organization operate six factories in six cities and counties in four provinces. They produced 60,000 meals a day to provide one meal daily to children in nurseries and kindergartens in those areas. In mid-2005, World Vision restarted two noodle factories with new machines installed.
In 1998, World Vision launched agricultural development projects. World Vision introduced technology to produce vegetables in greenhouses. World Vision supports its partner, the Korea Academy of Agricultural Sciences (KAAS), to produce about 180 tons of vegetables, mainly tomatoes and cucumbers, a year. This food is being distributed to patients in hospitals in Pyoung Yang and Nampo city, the biggest harbor city near the Pyongyang metropolitan area. This project is still underway, with planning to expand the technology to 30 communities in 2006.
In 2000, World Vision, in close cooperation with the KAAS, started a new project to produce virus-free seed-potato tubes through hydroponics technology. World Vision helped the KAAS build five bases of greenhouses in four provinces and at the KAAS head center in Pyongyang. The vision for this project is to cover the entire country—reachable within one-half day's travel—for distribution of seed. The technology of producing virus-free seed potato has been successful. An increasing number of local people have trained in this technology over the past five years.
About 400 people are working in five seed-potato bases of KAAS, including 60 senior staff technicians who are trained and who conduct daily operations. Beginning in 2006, the KAAS will support the government to use locally produced seed to produce potatoes. In late 2004, World Vision and KAAS announced our hopes to achieve a "potato revolution." World Vision has provided technological assistance for the program. Also, since 2004, World Vision has been developing projects to cultivate new breed and seed for fruits (especially apples), as well as radishes and cabbage for Kim chi. This will help provide people a balanced diet.
World Vision now is planning to move in the area of healthcare. The initial design is to start with a hospital or a clinic to help build a comprehensive system of care with appropriate facilities and medical supplies.
What is happening now on the ground in North Korea in terms of hunger and malnutrition? I know they're in a delicate period before a late September harvest. Are you concerned about famine now? Have the recent South Korean and U.S. food pledges gotten in to the North yet? What are you seeing in the evolving situation of malnutrition and related health problems?
