N. Korea food shortage worsens amid COVID, but no famine yet

Speculation about North Korea’s food insecurity has flared as its top leaders prepare to discuss the “very important and urgent task” of formulating a correct agricultural policy. Unconfirmed reports say an unspecified number of North Koreans have been dying of hunger. But experts say there is no sign of mass deaths or famine. The upcoming Workers’ Party meeting is likely intended to shore up domestic support for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he pushes ahead with his nuclear weapons program. It is difficult to know the exact situation in the North, which kept its borders virtually closed during the pandemic.