But mentioning explicitly that he's decided to carry out a new Arduous March is not something he has said before. Earlier this week, Mr Kim had warned the country faced the "worst-ever situation" and "unprecedentedly numerous challenges". There have been warnings for months that the people of North Korea are struggling. Reports of hardship appear to be coming especially from towns near the Chinese border, where smuggling would have been a huge earner for many. The price of corn, the staple diet for most of rural North Korea, has reportedly fluctuated enormously and at times a kilogram of corn has cost more than a month's wages.
Lina Yoon, a researcher from Human Rights Watch HRW , said in a recent report citing unnamed contacts in the country that "there is barely any food going into the country from China".
It is unclear whether any aid at all is currently coming into the country. Reports suggest North Korea restricted imports of staple foods from China last August and then cut almost all trade, including food and medicines, in October. The country has also ramped up punishments for smuggling, describing it as "anti-socialist" and "enemy" behaviour, according to HRW. North Korea was also hit by two major storms last summer, which caused flooding that is believed to have damaged crops, exacerbating the shortages.
Kim Jong-un is shoring up support within his party as times get tough. He's making sure that the warnings are coming from him - perhaps so that when things get worse, he can point the finger at his officials for not acting on his orders. He can also pin blame for the dire economy on the Covid pandemic and the strict economic sanctions designed to curb his nuclear weapons programme.
And yet his regime continues to design and test new missiles. The weapons tests are something we can all see on satellite images and state media photos, and use them to question world leaders about how they are going to act.
The North Korean people cannot get images of their suffering to us without the risk of being imprisoned or shot. The total number of North Koreans who starved to death at the time is not known, but estimates range up to three million. It is highly unusual for Kim Jong-un to publicly acknowledge a food shortage. But this is a North Korean leader who has already admitted that his economic plan has failed.
The problem for Mr Kim is that when he took over from his father, he promised his people a more prosperous future. He said they would have meat on their tables and access to electricity. This has not happened. Now he's having to prime the population for more hard work. He is trying to tie this into the global pandemic, and state media reported that he pointed out to party officials that the situation across the world is getting "worse and worse".
With so little access to outside information, he can paint a picture of things being bad everywhere - not just in sealed off North Korea. He also described efforts to beat Covid as a "protracted war". That signals that border closures are not easing any time soon. That is the concern of many aid organisations. The sealed border has prevented some food and medicine getting through. Most NGOs have had to leave the country, unable to get staff and supplies in or out.
North Korea had similar food shortages in past years before the pandemic, according to Kwon, but its needs were met by the smuggling of rice and other grains via its porous border with China. Currently, North Korean citizens can still buy grain at expensive prices if they have money, he said. They say China worries about North Korean refugees flooding over the border into China or the establishment of a pro-U.
They are bans on exporting mineral resources and importing refined oil and high-end liquors and suits. The two lawmakers said the NIS also believes there is no indication that Kim Jong Un has a health issue, following recent photos that appeared to show a bandage on the back of his head.
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