Kim Jong Un issues a "serious political issue" warning over food shortage in North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Thursday that depriving people of basic necessities like food is a “serious political issue,” and called for ways to be found to improve economic development. According to KCNA, Kim made these comments during a speech on regional development at the country’s ruling party, the Workers’ Party of Korea, 19th Enlarged Meeting of the Political Bureau of the 8th Central Committee, which was held between Tuesday and Wednesday. Over the past few decades, North Korea has experienced severe food shortages, including a famine in the 1990s, which were frequently made worse by natural disasters like floods that harmed crops. The food situation in North Korea was “still bad” despite an uptick in trade with China, South Korea’s unification minister, who is charged with handling relations with its neighbour, said last year. The North Korean leader also urged his party to bring about a swift change to raise the living standards of people throughout the country and close the gaps between urban and rural areas through its new regional development policy. Kim announced the policy at a Supreme People’s Assembly meeting held earlier this month. “The overall regional economy is in a terrible situation without elementary conditions and there are severe imbalances and huge gaps between regions in terms of their geographical circumstances, economic potential and living circumstances,” Kim was quoted as saying. “We should not sit by and wait till the situation and conditions turn favourable but find more jobs to be faithful to our duty for the sake of the people,” he added. North Korea, which is under strict international sanctions over its banned weapons programmes, came under further economic pressure during the pandemic when its limited border trade was virtually choked off by self-imposed lockdowns aimed at preventing COVID-19. (with inputs from Reuters)