Last Friday, a North Korea focused newspaper, New Focus, stated that kkotjaebi [child beggars] before were mostly orphans, but these days, there are many kkotjaebi who have parents.

 

As the North Korean economy is getting worse, children with parents are going out to beg for food. Also, according to a defector, who was also a kkotjaebi in North Korea, many child beggars say that they do not have parents to get food and there is a great competitiveness among them.

 

Source: Chosun Ilbo