North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un told fellow Workers’ Party members that his country’s economy is experiencing “shortcomings” due to the coronavirus pandemic and U.S. sanctions, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
The economy has “not improved in the face of … severe internal and external situations,” Kim told party members. Meanwhile, state-organized development plans have “seriously delayed and the people’s living standard [has] not been improved remarkably.”
While North Korean officials insist that Kim’s grip on power in Pyongyang is absolute, it is increasingly clear the country is struggling under his command.
Tough sanctions from both the United Nations and Washington have limited North Korea’s economic output, especially as leadership consistently chooses to invest in its nuclear program rather than the welfare of its people.
The flattened coronavirus economy combined with sanctions have put the North Korean economy in dire straits. Earlier this week, Kim requisitioned pet dogs from party elites, which some suspect are being used for the food supply. – READ MORE
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