Russia offers North Korea up to 700 thousand tons of rice for its participation in the war against Ukraine

The DPRK may receive up to 700 thousand tons of rice from Russia for its participation in the war against Ukraine. Former South Korean ambassador to Russia and member of the House of Representatives Woo Sung-luck told The Korea Herald. According to Wee, the agreement between Russia and North Korea is “not bad at all” because North Korea’s contribution to Russia’s military actions “largely” solves the DPRK’s financial and food crises. North Korea annually produces about 4 million tons of grain – rice, barley and wheat. However, according to Wee, most of the country’s production is potatoes, and less than a third of the total volume is produced in rice. These volumes are 1 million tons less than needed to cover the country’s needs. “If Russia offers 600,000 to 700,000 tons of rice, it is enough to cover more than half of what North Korea will need to meet its annual demand,” Wee said. In his opinion, the DPRK can “probably compensate for part of the food shortage in its current ...