North Korea has been experiencing unusually dry weather since late April and the SouthÂ’s Korea Meteorological Administration expects the dry spell on the peninsula to continue until the end of this month.The state-run Korea Rural Economic Institute here expects the NorthÂ’s barley and wheat production yields to drop 20 percent this year, with overall crop production down around 15 percent. The institute added that if the drought continues, the regime may face a severe food shortage.
Local experts believe the drought, the worst seen in the Stalinist state in half a century, is putting it on the brink of widespread famine as the situation is expected to deteriorate when food production is affected.