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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| ‘Flower Tuberculosis’ in North Korea | |
| 2015-06-21 | |
“Tuberculosis can spread rapidly as it is a contagious disease. Even the strongest soldiers, once infected, can die from severe internal bleeding. Women are more susceptible to dying from the disease than men,” they report. Chae Young-Hee, who served in the headquarters of the Pyongyang anti-aircraft artillery of the Korean People’s Army, and who escaped from North Korea in October 2014, says, “For people serving in the military, the most fortunate thing to happen to you is to avoid getting ill. If you get sick, treatment is almost impossible. You don’t even have cold medicines when you’re in the military. “T he medicine that is rationed to the army is embezzled by medical officers, and the only medicine that is left are ones that are so old that they are covered in mold. In North Korea, the most common disease among soldiers is known as tuberculosis. Society considers tuberculosis medicine to be extremely valuable, and the price of tuberculosis medicine in North Korea is high. “Those in North Korea who get tuberculosis prepare for death, rather than prepare for treatment. From mid-2007, the Korean People’s Army enlarged the scope of quarantine measures in order to prevent the spread of tuberculosis among soldiers.” This is one indicator that cases of tuberculosis among the military has been increasing. Regardless of one’s ranking or military post, those infected with tuberculosis will be relocated to a special ward in a military hospital. The patients are placed in isolation, and contact with outsiders is strictly forbidden. Besides such measures, however, no other treatment is provided, nor available. With the increasing number of tuberculosis patients, there is a lack of hospital beds to accommodate all of them. To solve this problem, the North Korean government discharges tuberculosis patients closest to death and sends them home, which they assert is the best option. Patients who are able to return home are considered lucky. Many soldiers die before the situation can be controlled in even such a manner. Among the soldiers who succumb to death quickly, many are female. Tuberculosis causes their skin to become whiter, as the disease gradually worsens. And a brighter skin tone is considered to be a sign of beauty in North Korea, even though tuberculosis eventually causes death. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #6 I agree wid #3 - it'll be the Chinese in such a scenario. Chinese security forces are already there to help protect the Kim Regime, + China-NOKOR SEZS-EEZS, + TB or no TB, China is unlikely to accept or allow any de facto formal NOKOR-SOKOR reunification or post-NOKOR/Kim Collapse International Govt. until China de facto GETS BACK TAIWAN. NO RETURN OF TAIWAN TO BEJING = US-ALLIES + SOKOR + UNO GET NUTHIN', PERIOD. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2015-06-21 19:58 |
| #5 Maybe we found a place for the Mexicans. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-06-21 16:49 |
| #4 China's fertility rate is only about 1.5. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2015-06-21 14:41 |
| #3 Who moves in to the empty territory when the population drops by 75%? It certainly won't be the South Koreans. According to the CIA World Factbook, they have a total fertility rate of 1.25 (well below replacement), mother's mean age at first birth of 30.3, and the median population age is 40.2. The Chinese, perhaps? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2015-06-21 09:49 |
| #2 Who moves in to the empty territory when the population drops by 75%? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-06-21 08:24 |
| #1 Good Lord, in the army? Doc, can this be right? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2015-06-21 01:34 |