There is an increase in the number of fishing vessels that keep washing up on the beaches of Japan with dead bodies or skeletons on board. These are believed to be from North Korea because of the markings on the vessel and on the dead bodies.
CNN reports that the latest incident is the discovery of a vessel that washed up on a beach in Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture. There was at least one dead body of a male on board the boat that displayed Korean markings, while a second body was found some distance away but its origin has yet to be established.
These findings are indications that Pyongyang is struggling to recover from the sanctions imposed on it by the global community because of its nuclear programs and its people are trying to flee.
They try to escape
According to officials, the latest incident follows an earlier one of December 9 when two bodies washed up in the northwestern Japanese prefecture. Three more bodies were found near the beach in Fukaura, Aomori prefecture. The police are investigating and trying to link these bodies with the empty vessels that have washed up.
In the opinion of analysts, such a situation could be attributed to the desperation of the people to escape from North Korea that is reeling under the sanctions.
In spite of global condemnation imposed on it due to its activities related to the development of ICBMs, the regime pursues its nuclear programs while its people suffer. They try to leave and some of them end up as unidentified bodies or skeletons on the Japanese beaches.
Humanitarian crisis
Incidentally, one of eight ships that washed up on the beaches of Akita recently had eight skeletons in it, and some of the others had live persons who came from North Korea.
These are significant since they reveal the presence of a humanitarian crisis in the country. The recent incident of a border guard of the North, who crossed over to South Korea, is an example of the mental setup of people in the hermit kingdom.
Pyongyang has to face economic sanctions that have been imposed on it because of its nuclear programs and one of the areas is the ban on export of seafood to other countries.
This is hurting its economy.
Kim Jong-un must realize that the development and testing of ICBMs to nuke the United States is at the expense of the well-being of his people. His country is a secretive one and it is difficult to lay hands on the real state of affairs. Whatever little is known is through defectors, and the picture that emerges reveals a growing humanitarian crisis.
