The kotjebi are not officially recognized in North Korea, with any mention of the term being prohibited in state publications and documents.
[4] The kotjebi are a stateless generation, formed through famine and economic crisis, facing extreme poverty and no human rights guarantees.
[5] The orphaned kotjebi first appeared en masse in the mid-1990s in the wake of the North Korean famine, when the food production and distribution system collapsed.
[4] Also called the "Arduous March," was triggered by the combination of government mismanagement, loss of Soviet Union support, and severe weather conditions.
In an effort to "stabilize the livelihood of vagrants throughout the country", the North Korean government established special "Children's Detention Camps" in 1995, which were effectively rundown apartments.
[5] NGOs face significant difficulties in providing aid and relief to these children due to political sensitivities surrounding North Korean defectors.