‘What the hell is this crap?’

by Robert Koehler on July 20, 2005

KJI and the food factory

Caption: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il inspects a product named “Instant Rice” during a recent visit to a newly constructed integrated food-processing factory operated under KPA Unit 534 (Pyongyang KCNA = Yonhap)

Aside from the goofiness of the photo (nice shades not withstanding), does the fact that the Korean People’s Army apparently runs food-processing plants pose some interesting questions concerning food aid to North Korea?

{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Mark July 20, 2005 at 9:13 am: Mmmm…Soyalent Green. :p
2 Kushibo July 20, 2005 at 9:18 am: Isn’t this also true of many Chinese entreneurial ventures as well? Aren’t (or weren’t) many of the businesses in China run by military units?

Is it possible that the mighty North Korean Army is a bunch a paper tiger of paper pushers at a paper mill?

Can we only hope that Rodong Missiles are made of paper clips and glue?
3 Simon World July 20, 2005 at 4:56 pm: Daily linklets 20th July

Harry Potter doesn’t impress Harry Hutton (and vice versa). Spengler reviews Harry Potter readers. Headlines you don’t see every day: Mob fire-bombs ‘teapot’ cult HQ (thanks MM). Marmot asks an interesting question on instant rice and North Korea…
4 Kushibo July 21, 2005 at 12:09 am: The giant hats the military wears make NK’s military brass look very diminutive.
5 juan July 21, 2005 at 2:02 am: Wierd, interesting video link about KJI and his bodyguards.
Check it out: http://oregonstate.edu/~taylorad/northkorea_bodyguards.wmv
6 virtual wonderer July 21, 2005 at 3:13 am: Is it me or does KJI look like his losing some hair?
7 James July 21, 2005 at 8:41 am: I may be wrong but KJI’s shades look like they are expensive Fendis. They bear a striking resemblance to some my wife has… All this while the people of the north are hunting cockroaches and tree bark to add protein and fiber to their diet. The workers paradise is such great place.
8 Kushibo July 21, 2005 at 9:45 am: This picture proves what I have always believed: Kim Jong-il always wanted to be a doctor in a white coat, a dream that was pushed aside by his father who forced the young man to run the country.
9 foreigner July 21, 2005 at 10:52 am: “Kim Jong-il always wanted to be a doctor….” Boo-hoo, he had to settle for being a genocidal dictator with hundreds of millions of dollars in a Swiss bank account, the shame!
10 Kushibo July 21, 2005 at 11:07 am: You do realize, foreigner, I was being facetious, right?

It just reminded me of how so many Koreans talk about “people in white coats” and it just looked like Kim Jong-il and his army buddies there were playing dress-up.
11 foreigner July 21, 2005 at 11:11 am: No I didn’t, I thought you were a member of Hanchongryun.
12 Janus July 21, 2005 at 1:52 pm: Forget the eyes showing age, look at the scalp! Whatever happened to his bold perm of defiance against Western imperialism and fashion common sense?