[Opinion] Lifespan in North Korea

There is an old saying that the lifespan of a man depends on God`s decision, which more or less sounds fatalistic. According to biological data, humans must live longer than they do now. 18th century French scientist Bupon, based on the fact that the average lifespan of animals usually runs up to 6 times of the early period during which they grow up, concluded that people must live until about 120 years old after they stop growing up at around 20. According to the National Statistical Agency, the average life span of Korean men is 72.1 years and that of women is 79.5 years (as of July 2000), which are up from about 4 to 5 years from a decade ago. The figures are still 40 to 50 years short of the biologically assumed lifespan. And given that there are about 2,200 people aged more than 100, the assumption is not likely groundless.

▷In North Korea, however, the average lifespan has shrunk by 8 years for the last 8 years. UNHCR (the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) recently released a report which indicates people in North Korea live 66.8 years on average (62.8 for men and 70.7 for women) in 1998, down from 74.5 years recorded in 1991. The main culprit of the decline was no other than malnutrition, a finding that is appalling and lamentable.

▷The Pyongyang regime repeatedly say something like `Great Nation under Great Leader` and `Leader of Virtue.` With people increasingly living a short life due to famine, they sound nonsense. The North Korean government emphasizes what is stronger than nuclear weapons is `solidarity of the people,` which doesn`t make sense, either. For whom and for what do those hungry people have to unite for solidarity? For `feudal Stalinist regime` that serves interests of a small number of communist elites? It can`t be and should not be.

▷Pyongyang is cooking up an excuse for its nuclear program saying that it is a North-U.S. issue. It asserts that the nuclear weapon is to counter the U.S. threat. Yet, its argument hardly makes a case given the fact people are dying earlier due to famine. The North Korean government is taking their own people and the entire peninsula as a hostage by developing nuclear weapons to maintain its regime. This is why it is time for its nuclear program to let go. If it has money to build nuclear reactors, they must feed their hungry people first. That`s is the least thing it must do for its people. That`s the way they can reciprocate people in the south that has been kind to help their compatriots up north. Pyongyang should give up its nuclear program right away.

Jeon Jin-woo, Editorial Writer youngji@donga.com