North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a powdered potato factory in this grab from the [North] Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday. /Yonhap
Reuters: North Korea warns of food crisis, almost halves rations before summit
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - North Korea has warned that it is facing a food shortfall of some 1.4 million tons in 2019 and has been forced to almost halve rations, blaming high temperatures, drought, floods and United Nations sanctions in a memo seen by Reuters on Thursday.
The release of the undated two-page memo by the North Korean mission to the United Nations comes ahead of a second summit next week between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Washington has been demanding that North Korea give up a nuclear weapons program that threatens the United States, while North Korea has been seeking a lifting of punishing sanctions, a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War and security guarantees.
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WNU Editor: Why is North Korea making this known before President Trump meets Kim Jong-un next week? I do not see any upside for North Korea. The only ones who benefit are those who claim that sanctions will force North Korea to compromise.
Update: You know times are tough in North Korea when you read stories like this one .... North Korean Soldiers Raid Homes in Search of Food (Asia Times).
"Why is North Korea making this known before President Trump meets Kim Jong-un next week? I do not see any upside for North Korea."
ReplyDeleteI thought the upside would be obvious, even for someone who used to be a diplomat.
North Korea wants to use their weakness as leverage, hoping the US may see this and offer them a substantial trade in exchange for concessions.
Spot on
DeleteThis is the second time Kim will be on the world stage with regards to cameras (sure, there are cameras around when Xi met him, but when DJT is around there's really world wide news reporting at a different level - sorry Xi haha).. so Kim will use this opportunity to -look more human-. Looking human is of utmost importance to the regime leader, as this reduces the likelihood that he will be assassinated (the outcry for someone who is more human is much greater than for a monster who starves his people).. just like the wandering around in Singapore was a media stunt... he - within reason - wants to look weaker, more human, nicer than DJT.. this is about maximinsing publicity to change his image
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