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 01North Korea reveals new vertical take-off drones amid ‘modern warfare’ push 02How long-range strikes on Russia could impact North Korean troop deployments 03How North Korean hackers and IT workers collude to cause chaos 04What pro-Trump think tanks reveal about his likely North Korea policy priorities 05Yoon bet on US to deter North Korea. Now he faces an alliance skeptic in Trump. 06All the question marks hanging over Trump’s approach to North Korea in term two 07Time almost up for North Korea’s plan to launch 3 military satellites in 2024 08Trump return rekindles prospects of North Korea talks, but Russia stands in way 09How China could benefit from North Korea’s troop deployment to Ukraine 10New North Korean ICBM delivers big political message, and likely bigger payloads

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

01North Korea reveals new vertical take-off drones amid ‘modern warfare’ push
02How long-range strikes on Russia could impact North Korean troop deployments
03How North Korean hackers and IT workers collude to cause chaos
04What pro-Trump think tanks reveal about his likely North Korea policy priorities
05Yoon bet on US to deter North Korea. Now he faces an alliance skeptic in Trump.
06All the question marks hanging over Trump’s approach to North Korea in term two
07Time almost up for North Korea’s plan to launch 3 military satellites in 2024
08Trump return rekindles prospects of North Korea talks, but Russia stands in way
09How China could benefit from North Korea’s troop deployment to Ukraine
10New North Korean ICBM delivers big political message, and likely bigger payloads

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

LATEST ANALYSIS

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Peter Ward