Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, has demanded a “radical transformation” in agricultural productivity amid worries about alleged food shortages in the impoverished nation.
On the second day of a crucial party meeting, Kim emphasized the need of hitting grain production goals and changing output to establish the “basis for the stable and sustainable development of agriculture,” according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
Nothing is impossible as long as the strong leadership system is established throughout the entire Party and there is the united might of all the people, according to the KCNA. He expressed the unwavering determination and will of the Party Central Committee to bring about a revolutionary turn in the agricultural production without fail.
Kim made his comments less than a week after South Korea’s Unification Ministry claimed that its northern neighbor appeared to be facing a “grave” food situation and that it had received reports of starvation deaths. Kim is the third generation of his family to rule secretive North Korea.
According to a research published last month by the US think tank 38 North, North Korea’s harvest cycle for 2020–21 “probably failed to satisfy minimum human needs,” and the nation is now on the verge of famine.
“The data given thus far points to a considerable worsening in living conditions and an ongoing complex humanitarian situation with food insecurity at its core,” the study stated.
“A nuclear issue resolution may potentially result in considerable economic sanctions relief, as well as a less militaristic and revanchist posture, as well as resumed trade with the US and its allies. This would all contribute to a long-term solution to North Korea’s chronic food poverty.”
Food shortages have frequently affected North Korea, including a terrible famine in the 1990s that is thought to have killed between 240,000 and 3.5 million people. According to analysts, a combination of bad harvests, extreme weather, lockdowns, and decreased trade with China during the COVID-19 pandemic are to blame for the current food shortages.
The official newspaper of North Korea, the Rodong Sinmun, last week urged the country to be more economically independent and railing against accepting aid from “imperialists,” comparing it to “poisoned candy,” advocated for more economic independence.
