RURAL NORTH KOREANS THANKFUL FOR U.S. MEDICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001612

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PHUM SOCI ECON KN KS
SUBJECT: RURAL NORTH KOREANS THANKFUL FOR U.S. MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT

REF: A. SEOUL 1513

B. SEOUL 1556

Classified By: POL M/C James L. Wayman. Reasons 1.4(b/d)

Summary and Comment
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1. (SBU) Summary: The CEO of an American NGO that provides
humanitarian assistance to North Korea, Robert Springs, told
the Ambassador on October 7 that medical equipment and
generators provided to rural hospitals were being used as
intended and appeared to be well maintained. Springs noted
that when GRS made its most recent delivery of medical
equipment, the staff publicly thanked the American people --
not the "Dear Leader." Springs saw multiple large open-air
markets which he characterized as "capitalism in action."
Spring argued that more USG humanitarian assistance would
"build trust, which means everything." End summary.


2. (C) Comment: Springs's observations directly contradict
what we have heard from senior MOFAT officials, who defend a
Blue House ban on sending modern medical equipment to the
North by insisting that such gear would only be used on
regime elites in Pyongyang, not ordinary people in rural
areas. End comment.

In the Provinces, Gratitude for American Aid
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3. (SBU) During a 10/7 meeting with the Ambassador, Global
Resource Services (GRS) CEO Robert Springs provided his views
on the impact of U.S. humanitarian assistance, including
medical aid, in rural areas of North Korea. GRS has worked
in the DPRK since 1997 and Springs has travelled to the North
more than 100 times. He also serves on the steering
committee of the U.S. National Committee on North Korea.


4. (SBU) Springs related that he and his team had just come
from North Korea after checking on GRS-supplied medical
equipment and generators at three hospitals in Wonson,
Yongbyon and a county in North Hwanghae province. In
contrast to assertions by senior MOFAT officials (ref A),
Springs noted that the generators and medical equipment,
including ultrasounds and x-ray machines, were being used
frequently by local residents and had not been moved to
Pyongyang to treat elites. Springs said equipment donated
previously by GRS to other rural hospitals was also being
used as intended and appeared to be well maintained.
According to Springs, doctors, technicians and local
residents said they were especially thankful for the diesel
generators because they "saved multiple lives" when
unexpected blackouts occurred during surgery. Springs also
noted that this year, when GRS delivered medical equipment to
the rural hospitals, the staff publicly thanked the American
people for the assistance -- not the "Dear Leader."

What Market Crackdown?
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5. (SBU) Echoing what we have heard from other sources (ref
B),Springs said he saw multiple large open-air markets which
appeared to be under no one's control. It was, he said,
"capitalism in action." Springs related that the majority of
the traders appeared to be young women, "probably mothers
just trying to help their families." Practically everything
was available, Springs said, from piles of broken glass to
rice and corn.

Food Assistance
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6. (SBU) Springs related that interlocutors from the
Korean-American Private Exchange Society (KAPES),the DPRK
counterpart for GRS and other NGOs, indicated that the North
needed a lot of food aid. KAPES officials said they much
preferred to work with American NGOs, which were effective,
rather than the "burdensome" World Food Program (WFP).

Way Forward
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7. (SBU) Springs made a strong pitch for additional
USG-funded medical, educational and capacity-building
projects in rural areas of North Korea, emphasizing that such
assistance has a positive impact on people in the
countryside. Increased exchanges and food aid would "build
trust, which means everything," Springs added.

TOKOLA