VOA News: U.N.: North Korea Builds Its Military While Its People Starve
“The U.N. human rights office has accused the North Korean government of starving its people while building up its military power. It finds people are trapped in a system of endemic corruption and repression, which keeps them mired in lifelong poverty and deprivation. The report is based on first-hand accounts of more than 200 escapees interviewed in South Korea during the past two years…” (Schlein, 5/28).

Washington Post: North Koreans struggle to survive amid corruption and crackdowns on markets, says U.N. report
“…The U.N. human rights office called for drastic change in North Korea, where failure of centralized economic planning has pushed people to seek their livelihoods in a precarious parallel economy. … The U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, called for greater attention to the rights of ordinary people in North Korea while the international community pursues diplomatic engagement with the regime…” (Kim, 5/28).