Kim Jong Un ordered his officials to engineer a “fundamental transformation” in agricultural production amid fears of worsening food shortage in the country.
What Happened: The state media on Tuesday reported that the North Korean leader emphasized the importance of stable agriculture production at the seventh enlarged plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
The North Korean dictator said hitting the grain production targets this year was a top priority amid reports that Pyongyang is facing severe food shortages and a growing humanitarian crisis.
Although the report did not elaborate on the measures the Kim administration would take, the North Korean leader said the changes must happen in the next few years.
Earlier this month, South Korea said Pyongyang’s food crisis appears to have deteriorated further and is facing severe food shortages.
The Unification Ministry of Seoul said its isolated neighbor has effectively acknowledged severe food shortages in the country. South Korea’s Unification Minister, Kwon Young Se, earlier told the parliament, “We’re seeing a number of signs…though it doesn’t yet look like there’s a stream of people starving to death.”
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