Proceedings of the Asia regional workshop on the

C. Health and environment
C-1. All <strong>the</strong> policies in <strong>the</strong> DPRK are put into operation on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> principles to protect <strong>the</strong>
lives and properties <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people and improve <strong>the</strong> people’s health and living environment.
To protect human health and environment from <strong>the</strong> pesticides, <strong>the</strong> government has mentioned
<strong>the</strong> provisions to restrict <strong>the</strong> production, treatment and use <strong>of</strong> hazard chemicals like pesticides
and to protect <strong>the</strong> people treating <strong>the</strong> substances, in <strong>the</strong> national laws including <strong>the</strong> “Law on
Public Health” and <strong>the</strong> “Law on <strong>the</strong> Protection <strong>of</strong> Environment”, and is implementing <strong>the</strong>
legislations thoroughly.
C-2. The occupational poisoning cases have not yet been presented seriously among pesticide
producers or users, up to now. Although <strong>the</strong>re have not been <strong>the</strong> acute poisoning phenomena
by pesticides, it is expected that <strong>the</strong> chronic poisoning among people who have handled
pesticides for a long time, can be occurred, so precautionary measures for that are being taken
in a timely manner. All hospitals and clinics in every rural areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> country have <strong>the</strong>
medical workers responsible for precaution and treatment <strong>of</strong> pesticide poisoning, and <strong>the</strong>re
are chemical poisoning treatment centers in hospitals <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> big chemical factories including
pesticide factories. Besides <strong>the</strong>se rural clinics and poisoning centers, all hospitals have been
prepared with technical capacities to treat especially <strong>the</strong> pesticide poisoning. The
government, to prevent <strong>the</strong> poisoning cases in people treating pesticide, has clarified in
legislation to supply exactly <strong>the</strong> necessary eutrophics and medication to workers using
pesticides, and lets <strong>the</strong> relevant agencies perform <strong>the</strong> precautionary examination for <strong>the</strong>m.
C-3. There is no national problem on environmental pollution presented by pesticide application.
But, according to some investigation, it is evaluated that <strong>the</strong> population <strong>of</strong> aquatic organisms
including fishes or frogs in paddy lands and streams is being decreased because <strong>of</strong> wrong use
<strong>of</strong> pesticides and <strong>the</strong> surrounding soils <strong>of</strong> pesticide factories were polluted fairly. The issues
on pollution <strong>of</strong> environment by toxic substances including pesticides and preventing it are
under <strong>the</strong> responsibility <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ministry <strong>of</strong> Land and Environment Protection, and <strong>the</strong>
Research Center <strong>of</strong> Environment Protection carries out <strong>the</strong> investigation and research for
<strong>the</strong>m.
C-4. The pesticide residues in foods and agricultural products in <strong>the</strong> country are restricted up to
permitted limits, and <strong>the</strong> limits coincide with <strong>the</strong> MRLs regulated by WHO. But <strong>the</strong> national
application level <strong>of</strong> pesticides is relatively low compared with general world level, so almost
no problems on pesticide residue in food and agricultural products are presented from <strong>the</strong>
view <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir resources. The pesticide residues in goods are under <strong>the</strong> restriction <strong>of</strong>
legislation like “Law on Quality Control” and “Law on Agriculture” and <strong>the</strong> issue managing
<strong>the</strong> safety <strong>of</strong> food from pesticide residue is under <strong>the</strong> responsibility <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bureau for Quality
Control.
D. Tendency in manufacture, use and trade <strong>of</strong> pesticides
D-1. The production <strong>of</strong> pesticides in <strong>the</strong> DPRK had amounted to several thousands tons as active
ingredients. It was decreased because <strong>of</strong> some economic difficulties and, especially, by
closed production process <strong>of</strong> pesticide which was required by international conventions or
protocols on phasing out <strong>the</strong> hazard pesticides. More than half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> demand for pesticides
is depended on <strong>the</strong> import in <strong>the</strong> DPRK.
The constitution <strong>of</strong> pesticides applied has changed, too. Nowadays, low dose <strong>of</strong> pesticides
like sulfonyl urea herbicides and pyrethroid insecticides, and different natural substances and
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