Kim Jong Un Issues Stark Warning Amid North Korea's Worsening Food Crisis: 'We Should Not Sit By And Wait'

In a recent address, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un highlighted the critical nature of the country’s ongoing food crisis.

What Happened: Kim Jong Un, during a speech at the 19th Enlarged Meeting of the Political Bureau of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, emphasized the urgent need to address the country’s food shortages, as reported by Reuters on Thursday.

He stressed that the failure to provide the populace with basic necessities, including food, is a “serious political issue.”

Kim also urged the ruling party to swiftly implement a new regional development policy to improve people’s living standards across the country and bridge the urban-rural divide.

“We should not sit by and wait till the situation and conditions turn favorable but find more jobs to be faithful to our duty for the sake of the people,” Kim was quoted as saying, according to KCNA.

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Despite increased trade with China, North Korea’s food situation remains dire. The country has been grappling with food shortages for decades, exacerbated by natural disasters such as floods.

North Korea, which is under stringent international sanctions due to its banned weapons programs, faced additional economic strain during the pandemic when self-imposed COVID-19 lockdowns severely impacted its limited border trade.

Why It Matters: The food crisis in North Korea has been a long-standing issue. Last year, in February, South Korea’s Unification Ministry reported that the food crisis in North Korea had deteriorated further. This was followed by Kim Jong Un’s order for a fundamental transformation in agricultural production to address the worsening food shortage.

Later, in August, Kim also mobilized forces to combat food shortages as the UN accused North Korea of letting its people go hungry while devoting more resources to its nuclear weapons program. The U.S. also suggested that Kim Jong Un might trade weapons for food with Russian President Vladimir Putin as North Korea’s crisis worsened.

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