North Korea’s Kim Jong-un has stated publicly that the country is facing a food shortage, a rare admission for the country’s leader, who blamed the pandemic and a recent typhoon.
Last year, speaking at an anniversary event of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim urged his people to “remain firm in the face of ‘tremendous challenges’ posed by the pandemic”. One such challenge Kim has warned of is the potential for a famine echoing the “arduous march” of the late 1990s when the country faced a period of mass starvation that reportedly killed millions.
Kim’s response to Covid-19 has made North Korea even more isolated, leading to food shortages that are likely to impact millions. His slimmer look may also indicate Kim’s own lack of access to the food he used to have.
Is North Korea on its way toward another arduous march?
Isolated country
North Korea was one of the first countries to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak by closing its borders in January 2020. North…