North Korea Holds Agriculture Meeting Over Food Insecurity

North Korea Holds Agriculture Meeting Over Food Insecurity

North Korea has held a major agriculture conference as experts warn about worsening food shortages in the country.

State media reported North Korean leader Kim Jong Un began the high-level meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on Sunday.

Officials said the purpose of the conference was to discuss ways to improve agriculture to strengthen North Korea's economy. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Workers' Party leaders are seeking ways to establish a "rural revolution" for North Korea.

The report said the meeting was meant to help identify "immediate¹, important" agricultural issues to help improve the state of "national economic development." KCNA did not say whether Kim spoke² during the meeting or how long it would last.

International experts have warned that food insecurity issues have worsened in North Korea. The difficulties are linked to economic restrictions³ placed on the country over its nuclear weapons and missile programs. In addition, lockdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic severely⁴ hurt the economy.

Earlier this month, South Korea's unification ministry⁵ said the planned meeting to discuss agriculture added to evidence that the food situation in North Korea "seems to have deteriorated⁷."

The U.S.-based 38 North program is a policy group that watches developments in North Korea. It said in a report last month that "food availability has likely fallen below the bare minimum with regard to human needs." The group noted⁸ that food insecurity was at its worst level since severe starvation rates affected⁹ the country in the 1990s.

Most experts have said North Korea's current food situation is not near the extremes of the 1990s, when hundreds of thousands of people died of starvation. However, some experts have said the country's food insecurity is likely at its worst point since Kim took power in 2011.

North Korea needs about 5.5 million tons of grain each year to feed its 25 million people. Last year, the country's production was estimated to be 4.5 million tons. That was a 3.8 percent drop from 2020, South Korea's government estimates showed.

It is not clear what action the meeting will result in. Some experts say North Korea will use the gathering¹⁰ to increase public support of Kim during his disputes with the United States and its allies over his nuclear weapons program.

Although North Korea's economic situation remains¹¹ difficult, Kim has pushed to expand his nuclear weapons and missile programs. He has sought to position North Korea as a nuclear power and has called for economic restrictions on the country to be removed.

Last year was a record year for weapons testing activities in the country. This month, the North launched ballistic missiles and carried out tests on other weapons too.

Words in This Story

deteriorate⁶ – v. to become worse

the bare minimum – n. the least possible amount

ballistic missiles –n weapons that fly long distances across the Earth using rocket power and carry explosive devices

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

7 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。