How serious is the food situation in North Korea? The view from the rice market



Analysis How serious is the food situation in North Korea? The view from the rice market Open-source data suggests that prices remain at a record low, despite reported shortages Peter Ward May 23, 2019 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Unicef If official data is to be believed, the food situation inside the North is worse than it has been than at any time in the last decade. The country faces substantial food shortages and is in urgent need of aid. This may well be the case, especially for poorer households, but other sources of data on market prices indicate that if the food situation is bad, it is far from immediately evident in markets. An NK Pro analysis of North Korean rice price data extending back a decade indicates that: In Korean won terms Read More © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01How Trump’s return could transform North Korea’s quiet ties with Thailand 02How Assad’s downfall could expose secrets of North Korea-Syria military ties 03All the companies that participated in the Pyongyang Autumn Trade Fair 2024 04No Chinese firms joined North Korea’s latest trade fair dominated by Russia 05What defectors’ exam scores reveal about the quality of North Korean health care 06North Korean Il-76 cargo planes make rare flights to northeast coast 07From aid to academia: The status of foreign organizations in North Korea 08North Korea expanding rail access to airport near Wonsan mega resort: Imagery

Analysis

How serious is the food situation in North Korea? The view from the rice market

Open-source data suggests that prices remain at a record low, despite reported shortages

Peter Ward May 23, 2019

How serious is the food situation in North Korea? The view from the rice market

Unicef

If official data is to be believed, the food situation inside the North is worse than it has been than at any time in the last decade. The country faces substantial food shortages and is in urgent need of aid.

This may well be the case, especially for poorer households, but other sources of data on market prices indicate that if the food situation is bad, it is far from immediately evident in markets.

An NK Pro analysis of North Korean rice price data extending back a decade indicates that:

In Korean won terms

01How Trump’s return could transform North Korea’s quiet ties with Thailand
02How Assad’s downfall could expose secrets of North Korea-Syria military ties
03All the companies that participated in the Pyongyang Autumn Trade Fair 2024
04No Chinese firms joined North Korea’s latest trade fair dominated by Russia
05What defectors’ exam scores reveal about the quality of North Korean health care
06North Korean Il-76 cargo planes make rare flights to northeast coast
07From aid to academia: The status of foreign organizations in North Korea
08North Korea expanding rail access to airport near Wonsan mega resort: Imagery

How serious is the food situation in North Korea? The view from the rice market

LATEST ANALYSIS

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Peter Ward