Many North Koreans are already malnourished, their body weight and height substantially lower than that of South Koreans. According to non-government groups and other humanitarian workers, many North Korean children are showing signs of mental impairment as the lack of essential vitamins takes its toll.
与那些仅仅将此视为一个遥远安全问题的人不同，是否应该援助这些朝鲜同胞对于韩国人来说是一个艰难的决定。许多朝鲜人早已陷入营养不良，他们的体重和身高都持续低于韩国人均水平。按照非政府组织以及其他人道主义工作者的反映，由于缺乏必要的维生素，许多朝鲜儿童的智力已经遭到了损害。