Food shortage: Kim Jong-un orders Koreans to eat black swan meat - Telegraph

From printing coupons as a substitute for cash to raising decorative black swans for food, North Korea has been forced to innovate to deal with economic woes and food shortages at a time when pandemic border blockades are still in place .

As harvests draw to a close, international observers say the food and economic situation in North Korea is dire and there are signs the country is increasing trade and receiving large shipments of humanitarian aid through China.

South Korea's intelligence agency announced at a closed-door parliamentary hearing yesterday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued orders calling for the preservation of every grain of rice and for an all-out effort devoted to agriculture.

However, the spy agency estimated that this harvest could be better than last year due to sunnier days, stating that North Korea is taking steps to reopen its border with China and Russia in the coming months. REPORTS financialtimes.

According to various media outlets citing unnamed North Korean sources, the central bank there has printed cash coupons worth about one dollar due to a shortage of North Korean banknotes.

This week, North Korean state media promoted the consumption of black swan meat as a medicinal food source, stating that the new industrial cultivation will help improve people's lives.

"Black swan meat is delicious and has medicinal value," writes North Korean daily Rodong Sinmun, which is owned by the ruling party.

Research into breeding ornamental birds for food began in early 2019, and authorities instructed schools, factories and companies to breed fish and other animals in order to increase their food independence.

North Korea has long faced a tense food situation, and observers say poor economic governance has been exacerbated by international sanctions over its nuclear weapons, natural disasters and now the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a border blockade. unprecedented. /Telegraph/