March 28, 2024
Analysis

In search of miracles and substitutes: North Korea’s potato revolution

"The potato is good for people’s health" – Comrade Kim Jong Il

Among the propaganda campaigns promoting various food substitutes during the “arduous march”, the most significant one was kamja (nongsa) hyǒngmyǒng, or “the potato revolution” initiated by Kim Jong Il.

While visiting Russia in 2000, Kim Jong Il expressed his concerns to a high ranking official as follows:

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