The Status of Health, Childbirth and Child Rearing of North Korean People

Abstract

The health and food security is one of the important primary issues, especially in the humanitarian standpoint, because it is involved in basic living standards for survival. The objectives of this study are to identify the current status of basic human needs and health related life styles of North Korean people throughout the life span. According to the result of study, the gap in healthy life expectancy between North Koreans and South Koreans was approximately 12 years in 2007. Individuals born in South Korea could expect to live up to 80 on average, while North Koreans were much behind them, 69 in 2008. The levels of infant and maternal mortality of North Korea were five times higher than those of South Korea. Infant mortality rate and the maternal mortality ratio were 19.0 per 1,000 livebirths and 77.2 per 100,000 livebirths respectively, which remained considerably higher than those in the 1990s. Health-related lifestyles, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, have increased since the year of 1990. Smoking and drinking rates among adults were 53% and 44% respectively as of 2012. North Korean had a poor quality of life and poor environmental sanitation required for their daily life. The health and food security has deteriorated since the year of 1990s, which was observed by the interview survey for the migrants from North Korea and living in South Korea. The early childhood is one of the most critical moments in the life of an individual to keep the high quality of life. The strategies for population development as well as assurance of human security for the next generation should focus on strengthening early childhood development programs of North Korean people for the unification of Korea in the future.