North Korea releases wartime rice reserves amid food crisis
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy North Korea has released military rice reserves to tackle a food crisis in the country, South Korea’s spy agency has said, as a heatwave and drought hit food supplies. North Korea is thought to have produced about 4.4 million tonnes of grain last year, around 240,000 tonnes lower than a year earlier, according to the Korea Development Institute, a state-run South Korean think tank. A high-ranking source claimed that North Korea revealed its domestic food situation through the UN after deciding to accept international food aid, said Daily NK news site. Kwon Tae-jin, an expert at the private GS&J Institute in South Korea, said North Korea’s crisis would continue until it harvests corns, rice and other grains in September and October.