"To the People, Hamburgers"... North Korea's Propaganda Using Flour More Precious Than Rice?

North Korea Holds First-Ever 'Wheat Flour Food Exhibition'
Emphasizes Dietary Improvement Centered on Rice and Wheat Flour
Addressing Food Issues While Capturing Taste Preferences

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea has held a 'Flour Food Exhibition' featuring Western foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza for the first time in history, launching a large-scale propaganda campaign.

It is noteworthy that North Korea, where rice production is said to have sharply declined due to successive natural disasters this year, is promoting flour, considered a crop more precious than rice. This move is interpreted as reflecting the authorities' determination to fully address the residents' 'food issues' while also satisfying their 'changed tastes.'

North Korea's Korean Central TV reported on the 15th that a flour food exhibition opened at Pyongyang Myeonok.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 15th, North Korean state media simultaneously launched a large-scale flour propaganda campaign.

Korean Central News Agency reported the opening of the 'Flour Food Exhibition' at Pyongyang Myeonok, introducing that "the demonstration performances by master chefs showing how to make flour foods from other countries such as hamburgers and hot dogs were also eye-catching."

Famous restaurants including Cheongryugwan, as well as factories such as Minseong Food Factory, Geumcup Sports Comprehensive Food Factory, Neungna Food Factory, and Seonheung Food Factory participated in the event.

Korean Central TV reported, "Exhibition booths from Moranbong District General Restaurant and Daedonggang District General Restaurant, which distinctively brought out the unique taste and characteristics of flour foods such as mushroom udon, Pucho shrimp dumplings, and vegetable stir-fried noodles, attracted people's attention," adding, "Flour processed products from city food factories, including waffles and yeast bread from Goryeo Food Processing Factory, strawberry rolled rice cake (pie) and tangerines from Seonheung Food Factory, and fruit-flavored wafer snacks from Pyongyang Goksan Factory, are also receiving favorable reviews."

The Workers' Party organ, Rodong Sinmun, also joined the propaganda, explaining the exhibition's purpose as "to shift our people's diet to mainly white rice and flour foods in the near future, increasing the variety and quality of flour foods and processed products."

North Korea's Korean Central TV reported on the 15th that a flour food exhibition opened at Pyongyang Myeonok.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

North Korea's first-ever flour propaganda is analyzed as reflecting the recent atmosphere of focusing all efforts on solving residents' 'food issues.' On January 1st this year, Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, declared that the staple food of residents, which had to be filled with potatoes and corn, would be changed to 'rice and flour.'

However, this measure differs from South Korea's promotion of flour-based foods (bunsik) in the 1960s and 1970s when food was scarce to save rice. In North Korea, most flour is imported, so it is considered a crop more precious than rice. Especially, due to border closures following the spread of COVID-19, prices are reported to have risen about three to four times.

Moreover, North Korea has been suffering from the worst food shortage comparable to the 'Arduous March' period this year. This is due to a spring drought combined with summer floods, sharply reducing rice production.

According to the '2022 North Korea Food Crop Production Estimate' announced by the Rural Development Administration the day before, North Korea's rice production this year is 2.07 million tons, a decrease of 90,000 tons compared to the previous year. In addition, production of most crops considered staple foods for residents, such as corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, also decreased by around 10%.

North Korea's Korean Central TV reported on the 15th that a flour food exhibition opened at Pyongyang Myeonok.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Introducing various foods made from flour, whose price has risen significantly, is meaningful in that it provides residents with a special food culture experience. In particular, it appears to reflect the authorities' determination to secure new food sources amid chronic food shortages while also satisfying residents' 'tastes' in line with changing times.

In fact, among the younger generation in North Korea, preference for bread products is known to be high. According to Rodong Sinmun on the day, one resident expressed satisfaction, saying, "In our home, we often eat bread simply for breakfast. It is convenient, easy to digest, and has many good points."

Another resident said, "In our family, eating flour foods instead of rice for at least one meal a day has become a habit. Many flour processed products were exhibited at this exhibition, and all were excellent, so I don't know which factory's products to choose."

In addition, North Korea has recently shown signs of somewhat reflecting residents' changed tastes in its policies. The newly released documentary film 'The People's Parent' in October shows that Kim Jong-un considered supplying residents with spaghetti, champagne, cheese, and dog meat dishes on the hottest days of summer (Chobok). Also, in October, the Daesongsan Ice Cream Factory was completed in Pyongyang.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.