북한 기근의 인류학적 연구

Abstract

North Korean Famine is not an event as it is often considered. It is not a temporal shortage of foods caused by natural disasters such as floods and droughts of 1995～97. Rather, it is a long-term process which has developed over a decade since the collapse of the socialist bloc economy at the end of 1980s. And, from the perspective of FED(Food Entitlements Decline), it may still be in progress as there are serious limitations in entitlements of food among the population in the geographical periphery or in the marginal social status. Also, the state itself is more or less totally dependent on foreign aids. Famine in a socialist country is not equal as often expected. Under the pressure of national security and state of emergency, the state has distributed food and resources according to the strategic priorities. The result of this militaristic policy is the mass-scale famine of over several million victims. Disasters of this scale leave deep wounds that requires generations to cure. However, it also opens a momentum for reform and innovation to mend the failing social system.