In his speech at a major political conference, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un warned about possible food shortages and urged his people to be prepared for extended COVID-19 restrictions. Kim also called for talks on how to handle the ‘current international situation,’ but Korean Central News Agency did not mention any specific remarks about the United States or South Korea.
As a result of a failed summit between Kim and President Trump that broke down over disagreements over the exchange of relief from crippling US sanctions with steps toward denuclearization, allies have asked North Korea to resume nuclear talks. Given the North’s poor health infrastructure and porous border with China, its major ally and economic lifeline, health experts are skeptical that there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the North.
While pandemic border closures constrained trade with China, and punishing typhoons and floods decimated crops last summer, the North’s economic health has deteriorated further. North Korea’s situation has not yet shown signs of mass starvation or major instability, but some analysts say conditions could be perfect for a crisis that undermines food and exchange markets and triggers public panic. According to the Korea Development Institute, a think tank of the South Korean government, the North could face a food shortage of around a million tons this year.
According to KCNA, Kim announced on Tuesday that the country is facing a food crisis, noting that its economic woes have put a drain on production. Kim also said the state needs to continue its anti-epidemic lockdown despite the economic struggles. Kim called the party meeting to review national efforts to rebuild the economy for the first half of the year. In addition to addressing the ‘unfavorable’ conditions and challenges, on Tuesday, Kim also expressed appreciation over gains made, including the increase of 25% in industrial production so far this year over last year, KCNA reported.
In January, North Korea held its first ruling party congress in five years, where it laid out its development plans for the coming five years. In that meeting, Kim urged his people to remain resilient in their struggle for economic independence, urged the reassertion of greater state control over the economy, boosted agricultural production, and encouraged the development of chemical and metal industries. North Korea’s industrial production has been hit by sanctions and halted by a pandemic that has affected imports of factory materials.
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