Blame in the North Korean Famine, 1994-1998

Authors

Zoe Ngan, Brigham Young UniversityFollow

Keywords

North Korean Famine, Amartya Sen, Entitlements, Socialism, Soviet Union, Blame, PDS

Abstract

This paper intends to analyse blame for the North Korean famine through Amartya Sen’s entitlement theory, which suggests that the North Korean state was largely to blame. The collapse of the public distribution system (PDS), as well as the North Korean government’s misallocation of aid, were most significant in obstructing North Koreans’ ability to access food, and can be interpreted as severe entitlement ‘failures’ that were directly facilitated by the state.

Recommended Citation

Ngan, Zoe (2024) "Blame in the North Korean Famine, 1994-1998," BYU Asian Studies Journal: Vol. 9, Article 8.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/asj/vol9/iss1/8