North Korean leader Kim holds rare meeting on agriculture amid reports of food shortage in country

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Monday (February 27) opened a key political conference addressing agriculture where he urged officials to devise a “fundamental transformation” for production in the sector, state media reported. The conference suggests that the country’s food shortage is worsening.

Kim also highlighted the importance of stable agricultural production while addressing the seventh enlarged plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The North Korean leader also said that reaching grain production targets should be the top priority.

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The high-level meeting with senior party officials of the ruling WPK which began on Sunday reviewed the last year’s work on state goals. The state media also said that the plenary meeting will identify immediate and important tasks on issues related to agriculture and economic development.

The KCNA report did not elaborate on the kind of measures which will be implemented, but the North Korean leader has said that they need to take place in the next few years. According to experts on the subject, North Korea is currently reliant on collective farming, which typically includes a number of small farmers producing crops with joint labour, reported Reuters.

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Multiple reports from the South Korean media have claimed that people in North Korea are dying of hunger. However, not only are they unconfirmed but experts also believe that there is no indication of mass deaths or famine in Pyongyang. While the extent of food shortages in North Korea remains unclear, a US-based website 38 North Project claimed that food insecurity has been the worst in the country since the widespread famine in the 1990s.

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Pyongyang’s pursuit of self-sufficiency has meant that almost all the grain is produced domestically which has left the country vulnerable, said the 38 North Project, reported Reuters. Last week, North Korea’s official newspaper said that relying on external aid to cope with food shortages equals taking “poisoned candy”. This comes as the country finds itself amid mounting international sanctions and supply shortages due to COVID-19-related restrictions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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