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SEOUL: North Korea's rice imports from China rose sharply late last year in signs of a severe food shortage, according to a South Korean state trade agency and analysts.
The Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency said the North imported 7,423 tonnes of rice in October, 3,910 tonnes in November and 3,928 tonnes in December from its neighbour.
Overall, the amount imported over the period is about 2.6 times more than during the same period in 2005 and accounted for almost half of the North's annual rice imports totalling 38,479 tons, the agency said.
"North Korea's massive rice imports following the harvest season means that its food situation is so severe. Due to the imported rice, North Korea's market rice prices are stable so far," Kwon Tae-Jin, a senior researcher at the state-run Korea Rural Economic Institute, was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.
South Korea suspended regular aid shipments of rice and fertiliser after the North's July missile tests and maintained that suspension after the regime conducted its first ever nuclear weapons test in October.
The United Nations also imposed sanctions after the tests but these did not cover food.
The North suffered famine for several years starting in 1995 in which hundreds of thousands of people died. It blamed floods but analysts said its inefficient command economy was largely to blame.
An organisation helping refugees from the communist state warned last November that North Koreans may face famine this winter as disenchanted international donors cut back on aid after the missile and nuclear tests.
Tim Peters, director of Helping Hands Korea, said the North by the end of January would face extremely severe shortages.
- AFP/so
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