The division of Korea and the consequent creation of North Korea is directly caused by the victory of the Allies during World War II. With the victory of the Allies, the Allies made Japan give up her colonies, one of which was Korea. Soviet Union and the United States then occupied Korea, however, the nations failed to create an independent and unified Korea resulting in the rise of a communist North Korea and a democratic South Korea.
The creation of North Korea under a dictatorship regime, despite the veil of a democracy, has affected and continues to affect the North Korean people.Under the North Korean government, all people of North Korea are required to be loyal to the North Korean head of state, the people lose their basic human rights, the right to speech, as they are executed for disloyalty to their leader such as small scale revolts or for speaking out against their leader. Some North Korean defectors even said that referring to the leader as “Kim Jong-Il” instead of “General Kim Jong-Il” can result in severe repercussions for the person in an interview.
Additionally, the famine that hit North Korea in the 1990's and the lack of government action in providing food for the masses led to approximately 2/3rd of the population in the poorer sections of society dying according to the estimates of the North Korean defectors although statistics regarding the effects of this famine on the country has not been published by the North Korean government. Some North Korean defectors have also stated that electricity is only occasionally provided during important government events such as speeches of leaders and the rest of the time the people must make do with oil lamps or no light.
Furthermore, all North Korean citizens above the age of 12 are required to witness public executions by the law despite their willingness to do so. With respect to these executions, North Korean citizens are executed for crimes such as stealing some length of rope from a mine and selling the rope while the same would fall under a class D felony in the United States which would warrant up to 5 years of jail time and a fine. Additionally, up to four generations of the family of the person attempting to escape North Korea is executed along with the person who attempts to escape. According to this legislation, citizens who have not committed any crime themselves are executed.
Following the practices of North Korea, the North Korean citizens continue to suffer due to the events of World War II to date. However, the aforementioned treatment of the North Korean citizens is often considered as a result of the North Korean government without regard to the role of World War II in such treatment of the North Korean citizens.