A United Nations report says many North Koreans are forced to pay bribes to receive food and other necessities of life. The U.N. Human Rights office published the report this week. It was based on discussions with more than 200 North Korean “escapees” who fled their homeland. The report said North Korea’s economy has long been failing and that the government is unable to provide its citizens with “life’s basic necessities.” Michelle Bachelet is the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. In a statement, she said the U.N. believes people in all countries of the world should be given “rights to food, health, shelter, work and freedom of movement.” In North Korea, however, such rights “depend primarily on the ability of individuals to bribe state officials,” Bachelet said.
