(TheIndependentStar.com) – There has been much discussion lately about the current state of Kim Jong Un’s health, as he appears to have lost a significant amount of weight. Some are speculating it could be a conscious decision taken to improve his health, but others are suggesting it’s related to food shortages in North Korea.
According to the North Korean leader’s statement on June 16, 2021, his country is experiencing a “tense food situation.” He says it is a result of flooding and typhoons in 2020, but Kim also shut his country’s borders during the pandemic, letting nothing in or out. Even trade from China, its closest trading partner, was banned.
Kim Jong Un admits North Korea is facing ‘tense food situation’ https://t.co/fmAOgu4eUB
— News Unseen (@NewsUnseen) June 17, 2021
He did not give specific information, saying only that things have deteriorated more since last year. It’s reasonable to conclude, however, that things must be awful when the country’s leader is undergoing such noticeable weight loss.
This is a difficult situation, which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates will require about 860,000 tons of food to remedy. With plans to import only about one-fifth of the deficit, the country is in great need of aid.
Helping North Korea seems like a moral obligation because the people under Kim’s rule are innocent victims, but dealing with the leader is never easy. When the government does accept help, it often only goes to the elite and not those really in need. This is a lose-lose situation.
Copyright 2021, TheIndependentStar.com
