Wednesday, February 17, 1999 Published at 11:20 GMT
North Korea 'loses 3 million to famine'
North Korean children are believed to be seriously malnourished
Famine has cost the lives of 3 million North Koreans since it hit the country in 1995 according to a report from the government in Pyongyang.
Correspondents say if the statistics are correct as reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap, aid agencies fear that pervious drought and floods have left the country in a far worse situation than previously thought.
South Korean sources said the survey was conducted by the Public Security Ministry before the election of delegates for North Korea's parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, last July.
The North's security ministry has also predicted further population losses unless food shortages are alleviated.
Starvation and disease
The sources attributed the population loss mainly to starvation and disease but said migration also played a part.
South Korean intelligence officials were not available for comment. But they have estimated North Korea's current population at about 24 million.
There have been conflicting reports on the severity of North Korea's food crisis. But defectors and international agencies have raised the possibility that more than 2m North Koreans have died of famine and disease since 1995.
Correspondents say the figures may help the North in obtaining more international food aid.
US and South Korean sources who have visited the North say 10% of the North's population may have died as a result of starvation and malnutrition in the past three years.
With its food shortfall estimated at least 1.63m tonnes this year, North Korea has launched a desperate campaign to boost agricultural production.
Kim Jong-Il, who was confirmed as the North's supreme leader last year, has branded agricultural production as the country's "most important" task, reflecting the depth of the food shortages.
Threats and brinkmanship
Analysts in Seoul believe that North Korea may be coming under increased US pressure to improve ties with its southern rival before it gets any new food aid.
Pyongyang has routinely used threats, promises and nuclear brinkmanship to extract aid and concession from the United States and its allies.
The North has been negotiating with Washington for additional food aid to help fend off starvation this year.
In return, Pyongyang has offered to allow inspections of an underground nuclear bunker suspected of being used for nuclear experiments, in breach of a 1994 accord which halted its suspected nuclear weapons programme.