North Korea has held a major agriculture conference as experts warn about worsening food shortages in the country. State media reported North Korean leader Kim Jong Un began the high-level meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party on Sunday. Officials said the purpose of the conference was to discuss ways to improve agriculture to strengthen North Korea’s economy. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Workers’ Party leaders are seeking ways to establish a “rural revolution” for North Korea. The report said the meeting was meant to help identify “immediate, important” agricultural issues to help improve the state of “national economic development.” KCNA did not say whether Kim spoke during the meeting or how long it would last. International experts have warned that food insecurity issues have worsened in North Korea. The difficulties are linked to economic restrictions placed on the country over its nuclear weapons and missile programs. In addition, lockdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic severely hurt the economy.
