China said on Saturday that it was suspending all imports of coal from North Korea as part of its effort to enact United Nations Security Council sanctions aimed at stopping the country's nuclear weapons and ballistic-missile program.
The ban takes effect on Sunday and will last until the end of the year, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a brief statement posted on its website on Saturday. Chinese trade and aid have long been a vital economic crutch for North Korea, and the decision strips North Korea of one of its most important sources of foreign currency.
Coal has accounted for 34 percent to 40 percent of North Korean exports in the past several years, and almost all of it was shipped to China, according to South Korean government estimates.
The ban comes six days after the North Korean test of a ballistic missile that the Security Council condemned as a violation of its resolutions that prohibited the country from developing and testing ballistic missile technology.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @01:06PM
Most of the ones that manage to leave/escape really get a huge shock at many levels - google for the stories for various NK defectors/escapees. And these are the ones who weren't as susceptible to the propaganda...
Like Trump they can pick whatever lie they feel like telling to the population and go ahead and tell it. The difference is those who refute/mock the lie could get executed along with their families and relatives.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @01:18PM
the problem is that if you suddenly only have two thirds of what you had before (they say 30-40% of exports were coal, mostly to China), you notice it, whether or not anyone tells you why.
also, with coal there are a probably a lot of people involved in transporting it, so it would be hard to keep quiet that the coal is no longer moving.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @04:39PM
They'll just make up some excuse for the shortage. In North Korea very many starved to death because of a "food shortage" due to bad weather and failure to implement Kim's teachings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_famine#Background [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_in_North_Korea#Food_shortage [wikipedia.org]
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @03:28PM
When I was going to work in the morning I decided to stop by the McDonald's Drive Through to pick up something extra special. I pulled up and told the lady I would like "One Shamrock-Shake, small" I confirmed that that was it and she told me to drive up to the first window. When I did she informed me that unfortunately the machine is not on yet, and if I would like a Frappe instead. Reluctantly I agreed and I drove off in a huff. I put my hand in a fist, shook it real hard and exalted: "GOD DAMN YOU TRUMP! Stop oppressing me!."
Of course I did not do the last part, because I have a firm grip on reality. Please get some grip on reality my friend.