Food in North Korea

Only about 15% of North Korea's land is suitable for agriculture, while about 85% is mountainous. Food production is constrained by shortages of fertilizer, equipment and other inputs, as well as droughts, floods, typhoons, heatwaves, soil erosion and damaged infrastructure. Rice and maize are the main crops in 2026 and are generally harvested from September to October. Potatoes, soybeans, millet and sorghum are additional crops, while wheat and barley grown in winter and spring account for about 10% of annual output. Some minor crops are harvested in June. The lean period is especially pronounced from May to August. The Public Distribution System (PDS) is the national channel for allocating food. A historical United Nations benchmark used 573 grams per person per day, but current nationwide distribution data are limited and individual allocations vary. The benchmark does not establish a universally guaranteed or individually enforceable quantity. Access depends on official distribution, locality and household circumstances. Families also supplement supplies through relatives, kitchen gardens, cooperative farms, markets and state shops. A 2025 KDI assessment reported increases during 2024 in market prices for rice, maize, pork and refined oil. Actual prices remain difficult to compare because they vary by locality, supply channel and currency, while official prices and wages can also change. Available UN and WFP estimates indicate serious nutrition gaps. WFP cited an estimate of about 10.7 million undernourished people, more than 40% of the population, and about 18% stunting among children under five. Rural diets are generally worse than urban diets, with shortages of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Many people have access to fewer than four of nine food groups. Children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, girls and people with tuberculosis face particular nutritional risks. Screening and referral use mid-upper-arm circumference measurements in nurseries and public health facilities. UNICEF-supported programmes address severe and moderate acute malnutrition, vitamin A, deworming and micronutrient powders. Child Health Days reach about 1.6 million children under five, around 90% of that age group, twice a year. Guidance on infant and young-child feeding recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months and diverse complementary foods afterwards. School feeding and adolescent nutrition are also addressed through public-health programmes. Household cooking commonly uses available grains, potatoes, vegetables and preserved or fermented foods. Kitchen gardens, household production and food preservation help households manage shortages and seasonal gaps. Pyongyang Raengmyon is a well-known dish of buckwheat cold noodles, often served with meat, kimchi, vegetables or fruit in a brass bowl. Pyongyang-style noodles commonly use a relatively clear dongchimi or meat broth, while Hamhung-style noodles use potato or sweet-potato starch and hotter seasoning. Jongwoldaeborum includes family and neighbour food customs. These named dishes provide stronger regional evidence than general data about everyday nationwide consumption. Formal restaurants and food-service institutions are documented mainly in Pyongyang. National information about their availability, prices, opening rules, regional coverage and access for residents or visitors is limited, so Pyongyang offerings should not be treated as representative of the whole country. Food safety is formally regulated through the Food Hygiene Law, revised on June 23, 2019, the Quality Management Law, revised on March 9, 2019, and the Good Identification Code Law, revised on February 24, 2019. The Ministry of Public Health and the State Hygiene and Inspection Board oversee parts of the formal food-safety chain. Agricultural and animal-related controls involve the Ministry of Agriculture and the Veterinary and Anti-Epizootic Department. The Academy of Health and Food Science is also involved in food-science work and Codex contact. Public information about inspections, enforcement, food incidents and consumer remedies is sparse. Humanitarian food assistance depends on programme authorization, monitoring and operational capacity; organizations including FAO, WFP, UNICEF and WHO have supported food, nutrition or health-related work. Food self-sufficiency is a national policy priority. Current resilience work focuses on agroforestry, improved seed, soybean and fruit production, marine aquaculture, conservation agriculture, food processing and reducing post-harvest losses. A historical United Nations estimate placed cereal losses after harvest at about 16%. In practice, harvest resilience, efficient use of inputs, preservation and loss reduction affect food access alongside production itself.