North Korea's long range missiles

North Korea is a very strange place. Imagine living in a country where secrecy is so important that none of their citizens are allowed to travel abroad and the handful of tourists who visit are taken to a few favourable destinations. We get a glimpse of just how hard life actually is for the 23 million people who live there from those who have escaped and the stories they tell are horrific.


North Korea’s economy went into steep decline during the 1990s after the collapse of communism. Although the economy has recovered somewhat, thanks to co-operation with South Korea and small market reforms, living conditions remain below 1990 levels. Then there's the regime's fanatical obsession with the military, money is poured into it and the people come a poor second. The UN World Food Programme estimates that almost nine million people are in urgent need of food aid.


North Korea will not be a participant in the two-day Nuclear Security Summit that starts today in Seoul, but 50 other world leaders will be there, including Julia Gillard. President Obama flew to the border by helicopter and touched down just outside the DMZ at Camp Bonifas, where he met US and local commanders and troops. He stopped for about 10 minutes at Observation Post Ouellette, within 90 metres of the demarcation line that was drawn after the 1953 ceasefire in the Korean War.


President Obama's arrival coincides with North Korea’s announcement to launch a satellite next month to honour the 100th anniversary of the birth of their revered founder, Kim Il-sung. But there’s a problem, the satellite will be be mounted on a long-range missile which have been banned by the UN, and that's what all the fuss is about. The President said he was frustrated that China had not done more to curb their behaviour in this regard.


North Korea described the summit as a platform for an "international smear campaign" against it and have threatened to take countermeasures against “any sinister attempt” to hinder its planned rocket launch. Meanwhile, the US are set to begin providing 240,000 tonnes of food aid to North Korea, after an agreement was reached on February 29.