North Korea’s official newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, has warned against relying on external aid to cope with the food crisis in the country, arguing that it would be like taking “poisoned candy”. This comes after reports that North Korea is on the brink of famine due to floods, typhoons, and global sanctions over its nuclear programme.
The paper cautioned against receiving economic help from “imperialists” who may use aid as a “trap to plunder and subjugate” recipient countries and interfere with their internal politics. The World Food Programme (WFP), which has helped North Korea in the past, has not commented on the recent reports of shortages.
Experts say the current food shortages have been exacerbated by lockdowns and a sharp reduction in trade with China due to border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. South Korea’s Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se has previously said Pyongyang had asked the WFP to provide support but that there was no progress due to monitoring issues.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that some 700 inmates at three North Korean countryside prisons have died from famine and diseases over the past two years. The Dong-a Ilbo newspaper also reported last week that North Korea had reduced daily food rations to its soldiers for the first time since 2000.
The 38 North think tank says food insecurity in North Korea is at its “worst since the 1990s famine”. It added that the country is “dealing with a complex humanitarian emergency with food insecurity at its core”. In light of this, the Rodong Sinmun urged economic self-reliance, as relying on external aid could be detrimental in the long run.