Remarkably ’emaciated’ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warns of food shortage | Abroad

At the start of a multi-day meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee, Kim warned that “the people’s food situation is now getting tense.” One of the reasons, he said, is the poor grain harvest following a typhoon.

The North Korean leader called on members of the Central Committee to resolve the issue. A good harvest is “the militant task that our party and the state must accomplish with the highest priority,” Kim said. This is the only way to ensure people a stable life and to ensure the socialist construction of the country, he added. Kim Jong-un also warned in April of a famine like in the 90s.

Remarkably, in photos released by North Korean state media, the 37-year-old leader is noticeably thinner in face than in photos taken in early February. This is fueling speculation about his state of health. South Korean media previously reported that Kim had health issues after a medical treatment for cardiovascular disease.

North Korea has been dependent on foreign food aid for years, not only because of natural disasters, but also because of its own mismanagement. The South Korean government estimates that the neighboring country will face a shortage of 1.2 to 1.3 million tonnes of food this year to partially feed the population.

Last year, not only the floods and storm damage but also the coronavirus epidemic had serious consequences for the strictly isolated dictatorship. Pyongyang closed its borders prematurely due to the pandemic, which has had a major impact on foreign trade.

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