[BBC] North Korea: Residents tell BBC of neighbours starving to death

On 14 June 2023, exclusive interviews conducted by the BBC published and revealed a dire food scarcity crisis inside North Korea, with reports of starvation and deaths due to lack of food. The situation is said to be the worst since the 1990s, according to experts. The government's decision to seal its borders in 2020 and tighten control over people's lives has exacerbated the crisis. The interviews provide rare insights into the devastating tragedy unfolding in the country. Hanna Song, director of International Cooperation at NKDB, expressed concern and noted that the current situation resembles the most difficult times in North Korean history. Please find the detailed information below.

Hanna Song, the director of NKDB, which documents human rights violations in North Korea, agreed. "For the past 10-15 years we have rarely heard of cases of starvation. This takes us back to the most difficult time in North Korean history."

Even the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has hinted at the seriousness of the situation - at one point referring openly to a "food crisis", while making various attempts to boost agricultural production. Despite this, he has prioritised funding his nuclear weapons programme, testing a record 63 ballistic missiles in 2022. One estimate puts the total cost of these tests at more than $500m (£398m) - more than the amount needed to make up for North Korea's annual grain shortfall.

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