From 1994 – 1998 North Korea suffered from a disastrous famine or “Arduous March” as it was officially labelled by the government.
This was due to a number of factors including the fall of the Soviet Union and its aid, as well as a series of extreme flooding and economic mismanagement. During the time, all North Koreans received their food rations from the state under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
While the system is still in use today, the catastrophic failure of the 1990s has led to North Koreans looking elsewhere for extra income so they can move away from reliance on the public system.
For many this means selling items including food at local markets. While technically illegal, the government has increasingly turned a blind eye to these activities.
Today food security has become more stable compared to the 1990s. In 2017 the grain yield was estimated to be about 4.7 million tonnes and slightly less in 2018. Around 5.3 million tonnes are required to feed the domestic population meaning that North Korea still requires some outside aid.