N. Koreans Starving, Kim Brewing Beer

Although many North Koreans are without basic necessities such as food, water or even electricity, the citizens of the capital at least have their own beer, thanks to dictator Kim Jong-il.

The Canadian Press reports that in the year 2000, the communist leader bought an entire brewery from the British Ushers company and brought it, vat by vat, back to North Korea be reassembled.

It was outfitted with the latest German-made computer-controlled brewing technology and started production in 2002.

Now North Koreans can somewhat afford the new Taedonggang Beer, named after the Taedong river flowing through capital.

Its taste rivals popular lagers from Japan and Europe, which are priced above what most consumers can buy.

"Our people like Taedonggang Beer a lot," Ri Hae Nam, assistant chief engineer at Taedonggang Brewery, told an APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) journalist during a recent visit.

"All the managers and workers of this brewery are trying to improve quality to international standards, upholding the instructions of Gen. Kim Jong-il to achieve the highest quality."

Watering holes in the capital city now have Taedonggang (not to be confused with Taepodong, the Korean intercontinental ballistic missile) on tap, and Kim Jong-il even visited the brewery to give it his personal stamp of approval.

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