North Korean leader Kim Jong-un urged citizens to prepare for difficult times. At a party conference, he compared the current situation in the country to the devastating famine of the 1990s, which, according to various estimates, killed up to 3 million people.
The reason for the disastrous situation is the almost complete halt of trade with China due to the borders closed during the coronavirus pandemic and international sanctions due to Pyongyang's nuclear program.
The leader of North Korea called on officials to be ready for the "Difficult Campaign." This euphemism was first used by the country's authorities in the mid-90s, when North Korea was left without the support of the Soviet Union, which at that time collapsed. Famine began in the country, and the fight against it was called the "Difficult campaign".
“It is not unusual for Kim Jong-un to talk about the hardships and tribulations facing the North Korean people. But the fact that he started talking about a new "Difficult Campaign" indicates that the situation is really serious, " Colin Zvirko, an analyst for North Korea at NK News , told the BBC .
Human Rights Watch (HRW) sources in North Korea say the same. According to their reports, food from China has almost ceased to be imported into the country. The price of corn, which serves as the staple food for most rural North Koreans, has been on the rise recently and a kilogram of corn has been worth more than a month's wages.
In the border areas with China, where people are smuggling to survive, they began to die of hunger, since the borders are tightly closed. Moreover, according to HRW, North Korea has toughened penalties for smuggling, calling it "anti-socialist" and "hostile" behavior.
UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in North Korea, Thomas Ojea Quintana, last month warned of a severe food crisis leading to malnutrition and hunger.
“Cases of death from hunger have been reported, as well as an increase in the number of children and the elderly who are begging because their families cannot feed them,” he writes in his report.
It is unclear if any assistance is currently being received in the country . North Korea turned down all offers of external assistance, and nearly all diplomats and humanitarian workers, including those from the UN World Food Program , left the country.
On top of that, North Korea was hit by two severe storms last summer. They caused floods and destroyed crops, leading to even greater food shortages.
“Kim Jong Un wants warnings from tough times to come from him. It is possible that when the situation worsens, he could point the finger at his officials for not following his orders, ”says Laura Biker, BBC correspondent in Seoul.
He also hopes to pin the blame for the dire economic situation on the pandemic and nuclear weapons sanctions, she said.
North Korea continues to develop and test new missiles , at least that's what the country broadcasts to the world through satellite imagery that is shown on the country's state media.
“The people of North Korea cannot tell the world about their suffering without the risk of being imprisoned or executed. But according to their own leader, they are already facing a humanitarian crisis, ”says Laura Biker.
The situation in North Korea has never been easy.
The economy is tightly controlled by the government, and the huge costs of maintaining the military and security structures leave ordinary North Koreans in poverty. The pandemic has added even more problems as the country lacks a public health infrastructure. Although Pyongyang claims that completely closed borders have saved the country from the coronavirus, experts doubt the veracity of these claims.
Analyst Colin Zvirko says North Korea is now trying to revive trade with China at least a little. “Even being paranoid about the virus, Kim Jong-un will have to start importing some goods into the country,” he said.
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