Josh Smith

SEOUL (Reuters). – North Korea’s efforts to create money and ornamental black swans for food are being challenged by border lockingdowns that have been dragging on anti-pandemic.

International observers warn that North Korea is facing a difficult food and economic environment as the harvest is over. There are also signs it is growing trade with China and receiving large amounts of humanitarian aid through China.

South Korea’s intelligence agency told a closed-door parliamentary hearing on Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had issued orders calling for every grain of rice to be secured and all-out efforts devoted to farming, according to lawmakers at the briefing.

The spy agency said that the harvest this year may have been better than last, due to the sunnier climate. In addition, it stated that North Korea was making steps to open its borders with China and Russia over the next few months.

North Korea has suffered food insecurity for many years. However, observers say the economic mismanagement is being exacerbated now by the COVID-19 pandemic and international sanctions regarding its nuclear weapons.

Kim Jong Un acknowledged that there was a “tense food situation” and apologized for the sacrifices people had to make in order to stop a coronavirus epidemic.

He also stated that the economy had improved in this year’s economic cycle, while North Korea denies a U.N. report this month that suggested thousands of North Koreans were at risk from starvation.

North Korea has not reported any coronavirus-related cases. U.N. agencies stated that North Korea allowed in aid recently, with China releasing numbers showing an increase in trade.

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According to media reports quoting unidentified North Korean sources the central bank was printing $1 money coupons due to a dearth of North Korean won bill.

Rimjin Gang, an Japan-based website run by North Korean defectors reported that the coupons were in circulation since August. This was partly because Chinese paper and ink had stopped coming in to China.

The government’s crackdown on foreign currency use, especially U.S. dollars, and Chinese renminbi, may have contributed to a shortage in won notes.

Reuters could not confirm independently the validity of these coupons.

North Korean state media highlighted black swan meat consumption as an important food source and stated that industrially-implemented breeding methods would benefit people.

Rodong Sinmun, the ruling party newspaper said Monday that black swan meat was delicious and had medicinal properties.

Research began into the breeding of ornamental birds to be used as food in 2019. Authorities have instructed schools and factories to raise food, fish, and other animals for self-sufficiency.

Colin Zwirko, senior analyst at NK News wrote that “the solution is meant for both the failure to large-scale farm to supply sufficient food supplies to all of the country and recent government COVID-19 restrictions that have largely blocked imports since the early 2020s.”