Medical aid in North Korea: sit-down with Stephen Linton of the Eugene Bell Foundation
- 6 years ago
한반도 정세 변화, 대북 의료지원 재시동 - Stephen Linton/인세반 회장 대담
As mentioned earlier, we have a special guest in the studio with us today. We are joined by Dr. Stephen Linton, the founder and chairman of the Eugene Bell Foundation, a Christian charity that provides medical humanitarian assistance to North Korea. The Foundation was established in 1995, at the height of the famine that killed millions. It originally provided food aid to the regime...
but has since been providing medical aid, specifically for tuberculosis. Some 250-thousand patients have been treated over the years, and it is now currently tackling drug-resistant tuberculosis. However despite the charity's efforts, there are still over 100-thousand infected with tuberculosis, and thousands die every year.
Dr. Linton's ties with North Korea have led to him visiting more than 80 times over the last 40 years. He was last in North Korea in May, continuing to try and provide aid to the North Korean people.
Dr. Linton, thank you for taking the time to come and talk to us today.
Thank you for having me.
1 - As I mentioned, you visited North Korea in May this year. Can you tell us about that trip, and with it can you explain what the Eugene Bell Foundation does in North Korea?
2 - You have visited North Korea many times over the last 40 years, but the timing of that visit has caught my attention. It was just after the inter-Korean summit in April, and just before the North Korea-U.S. summit in June. Was there anything different about the atmosphere that time? Were North Korean people aware of the summits and what was their response?
3 - There are unconfirmed reports that say one of the first things North Korea asked for in exchange for denuclearization was medical aid. Do you believe that? How bad is health care in North Korea currently?
4 - The Eugene Bell Foundation is trying to tackle the tuberculosis epidemic in North Korea. How urgent is the situation and what are the biggest challenges? (How bad could it get?)
5 - There are international economic sanctions placed on North Korea by the United Nations at the moment, but technically speaking, food, medicine, shelter and other types of basic human necessities are supposed to be exempt from sanctions. But governments have stopped medical aid as well. Why is that?
As mentioned earlier, we have a special guest in the studio with us today. We are joined by Dr. Stephen Linton, the founder and chairman of the Eugene Bell Foundation, a Christian charity that provides medical humanitarian assistance to North Korea. The Foundation was established in 1995, at the height of the famine that killed millions. It originally provided food aid to the regime...
but has since been providing medical aid, specifically for tuberculosis. Some 250-thousand patients have been treated over the years, and it is now currently tackling drug-resistant tuberculosis. However despite the charity's efforts, there are still over 100-thousand infected with tuberculosis, and thousands die every year.
Dr. Linton's ties with North Korea have led to him visiting more than 80 times over the last 40 years. He was last in North Korea in May, continuing to try and provide aid to the North Korean people.
Dr. Linton, thank you for taking the time to come and talk to us today.
Thank you for having me.
1 - As I mentioned, you visited North Korea in May this year. Can you tell us about that trip, and with it can you explain what the Eugene Bell Foundation does in North Korea?
2 - You have visited North Korea many times over the last 40 years, but the timing of that visit has caught my attention. It was just after the inter-Korean summit in April, and just before the North Korea-U.S. summit in June. Was there anything different about the atmosphere that time? Were North Korean people aware of the summits and what was their response?
3 - There are unconfirmed reports that say one of the first things North Korea asked for in exchange for denuclearization was medical aid. Do you believe that? How bad is health care in North Korea currently?
4 - The Eugene Bell Foundation is trying to tackle the tuberculosis epidemic in North Korea. How urgent is the situation and what are the biggest challenges? (How bad could it get?)
5 - There are international economic sanctions placed on North Korea by the United Nations at the moment, but technically speaking, food, medicine, shelter and other types of basic human necessities are supposed to be exempt from sanctions. But governments have stopped medical aid as well. Why is that?