Korean Journal of Community Nutrition (대한지역사회영양학회지)

The Korean Society of Community Nutrition (대한지역사회영양학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Nutritional status of North Koreans and related perceptions among South Korean adults

북한 주민의 영양실태 및 남한 성인의 관련 인식

  • Youngmin Nam (Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University) ;
  • Jihyun Yoon (Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University)
  • Received : 2024.03.15
  • Accepted : 2024.08.15
  • Published : 2024.08.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objectives: North Koreans have been facing chronic food shortages and malnutrition. This study examined the nutritional status of North Koreans and the perceptions of South Korean adults regarding their nutritional status. Methods: The nutritional status was examined using nutritional indicators for the general population, children, and reproductive-aged women in North Korea. An online survey was conducted among 1,000 South Korean adults aged 19-69 years to investigate their perceptions regarding the nutritional status of North Koreans. Results: Although the nutritional status of children in North Korea has consistently improved, significant progress in the general population and reproductive-aged women in the country remains elusive. The prevalence of malnutrition among North Korean children has decreased to a level that is not considered severe based on international standards, although it shows a substantial difference from that among South Korean children. The prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity in North Korea remains over 40%. South Korean adults perceive the nutritional status of North Koreans as being more severe than it is in reality. Notably, a significant inconsistency exists between the perceived and actual nutritional status of North Korean children, with over 95% of South Korean adults perceiving North Korean children's malnutrition as being more severe than it actually is. Moreover, South Korean adults in their 20s to 40s tended to perceive the nutritional status of North Koreans as being more severe than those in their 50s to 60s did. Conclusions: The nutritional status of North Koreans is a matter of concern. The disparity between South Koreans' perceptions of the nutritional status of North Koreans and the actual status highlights the need for accurate information dissemination to effectively address malnutrition in North Korea. These efforts could be instrumental in enhancing public awareness and fostering social consensus on food aid and nutritional support programs for North Korea.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the Seoul National University Institute for Peace and Unification Studies under the project "Laying the Groundwork for Unification" in 2019.

References

  1. Lee WY. 'Arduous March' and the mind of North Korean people: the state's account of the March. Korean J Unification Aff 2016; 28(1): 173-203.
  2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAOSTAT [Internet]. FAO; 2024 [cited 2024 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.fao.org/faostat
  3. Welthungerhilfe, Concern Worldwide. 2023 Global Hunger Index: the power of youth in shaping food systems [Internet]. Global Hunger Index; 2023 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pdf/en/2023.pdf
  4. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP). Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - FAO/WFP joint rapid food security assessment [Internet]. WFP; 2019 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.wfp.org/publications/democratic-peoples-republic-korea-dprk-faowfp-joint-rapid-food-security-assessment
  5. World Bank Group. World Bank Open Data [Internet]. World Bank Group; 2024 [cited 2024 Jan 10]. Available from: https://data.worldbank.org/
  6. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023: urbanization, agrifood systems transformation and healthy diets across the rural-urban continuum [Internet]. WFP; 2023 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000151116/download/?_ga=2.107116868.71777565.1724027384-299261806.1724027384
  7. Shim JE, Yoon J, Jeong SY, Park M, Lee YS. Status of early childhood and maternal nutrition in South Korea and North Korea. Korean J Community Nutr 2007; 12(2): 123-132.
  8. Shim JE. Double burden of malnutrition: implication in nutrition support on the North Korean children. J Peace Unification Stud 2014; 6(1): 118-154.
  9. Yun SY, Kwon YH, Yoon J. Status of maternal nutrition in South and North Korea. Korean J Community Nutr 2016;21(3): 265-273. https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2016.21.3.265
  10. Park J, Rhee MK, Cho WB. 2017 survey of inter-Korean integration. Korea Institute for National Unification; 2018. p. 1-57.
  11. Nam Y, Yoon J. Factors associated with the attitude of South Korean adults toward food aid to North Korea. J Nutr Health 2020; 53(2): 215-229. https://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2020.53.2.215
  12. Gallup Korea. Daily opinion No. 354 (week 3, May 2019) - North Korea, awareness of support to North Korea [Internet]. Gallup Korea; 2019 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1013
  13. YTN. YTN survey: public opinion on the food aid to North Korea [Internet]. YTN; 2019 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: http://www.realmeter.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/YTN%ED%98%84%EC%95%88%ED%86%B5%EA%B3%84%ED%91%9C5%EC%9B%942%EC%A3%BC_%EB%B6%81%ED%95%9C%EC%8B%9D%EB%9F%89%EC%A7%80%EC%9B%90%EC%B5%9C%EC%A2%85.pdf
  14. Kim YR, Lee SJ. Interaction between format and content embodied in the effects of international relief campaigns: focusing on framing and severity. Korean J Broadcast Telecommun Stud 2021; 35(4): 46-77.
  15. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The FAO method to estimate the prevalence of undernourishment [Internet]. FAO; 2016 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/rap/files/meetings/2016/161115_SDG_2016_-_Item_5.1_-_Prevalance_of_Undernourishment.pdf
  16. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Hunger and food insecurity [Internet]. FAO; 2024 [cited 2024 Jan 10]; Available from: https://www.fao.org/hunger/en/
  17. World Food Programme (WFP). Household food security in the DPRK [Internet]. WFP; 2021 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://uploads.mwp.mprod.getusinfo.com/uploads/sites/67/2022/03/3.-WFPs-Update-on-Food-and-NutritionSecurity-Situation-in-DPR-Korea-by-Mr.-Aylieff.pdf
  18. World Health Organization (WHO). Global health observatory [Internet]. WHO; 2024 [cited 2024 Jan 10]. Available from: https://www.who.int/data/gho
  19. World Health Organization (WHO). WHO methods and data sources for mean haemoglobin and anaemia estimates in women of reproductive age and pre-school age children 2000-2019 [Internet]. WHO; 2021 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/anaemia-in-women-and-children/hb-methods-for-gather.pdf?sfvrsn=da0fbb5f_11
  20. Alem AZ, Efendi F, McKenna L, Felipe-Dimog EB, Chilot D, Tonapa SI, et al. Prevalence and factors associated with anemia in women of reproductive age across low- and middle-income countries based on national data. Sci Rep 2023; 13(1): 20335.
  21. Jiang W, Zhao Y, Wu X, Du Y, Zhou W. Health inequalities of global protein-energy malnutrition from 1990 to 2019 and forecast prevalence for 2044: data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Public Health 2023; 225: 102-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2023.10.003
  22. Central Bureau of Statistics of the DPR Korea, United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). DPR Korea multiple indicator cluster survey 2017, survey findings report [Internet]. UNICEF DPRK; 2017 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/dprk/media/156/file/MICS.pdf
  23. United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations World Food Programme, World Health Organization. Democratic People's Republic of Korea final report of the national nutrition survey 2012 [Internet]. United Nations DPRK; 2013 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.ncnk.org/sites/default/files/content/resources/publications/DPRK_NNS%20Final%20Report_%202013.pdf
  24. European Union, United Nations Children's Emergency Fund, World Food Programme (WFP). Nutrition survey of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [Internet]. WFP; 1998 [cited 2024 Jan 10]. Available from: https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-peoples-republic-korea/nutrition-survey-democratic-peoples-republic-korea
  25. Central Bureau of Statistics of the DPR Korea, United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme. DPR Korea: Nutrition Assessment 2002 [Internet]. UNICEF; 2003 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-peoples-republic-korea/dpr-korea-nutrition-assessment-2002
  26. Central Bureau of Statistics of the DPR Korea, United Nations Children's Emergency Fund, World Food Programme (WFP). DPRK 2004 nutrition assessment report of survey results [Internet]. WFP; 2005 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-peoples-republic-korea/dprk-2004-nutrition-assessment-report-survey-results
  27. United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). 2006 DPRK nutrition survey results (non published data obtained from UNICEF corporate office in Pyongyang). Pyongyang: UNICEF; 2007. p. 19-28.
  28. Central Bureau of Statistics of the DPR Korea. Report of the second multiple indicator cluster survey 2000 [Internet]. Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition; 2000 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.rhsupplies.org/uploads/tx_rhscpublications/Korea_2000_MICS_English.pdf
  29. Central Bureau of Statistics of the DPR Korea, United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). DPR Korea: multiple indicator cluster survey 2009, final report [Internet]. Central Bureau of Statistics of the DPR Korea; 2010 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.aidsdatahub.org/sites/default/files/resource/dprk-mics-2009.pdf
  30. World Bank Group. The world by income and region [Internet]. World Bank Group; 2024 [cited 2024 May 10]. Available from: https://datatopics.worldbank.org/world-development-indicators/the-world-by-income-and-region.html?_gl=1*ukmo21*_gcl_au*MTgwOTU1MjQ5MC4xNzI0MDI3Nzcw
  31. Our World in Data. World Bank income groups [Internet]. Our World in Data; 2024 [cited 2024 May 10]. Available from: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/world-bank-incomegroups
  32. Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Resident registration demographics (December 2019) [Internet]. Ministry of the Interior and Safety; 2019 [cited 2024 Jan 10]. Available from: https://jumin.mois.go.kr
  33. Welthungerhilfe, Concern Worldwide. 2019 Global Hunger Index: the challenge of hunger and climate change [Internet]. Global Hunger Index; 2019 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pdf/en/2019.pdf
  34. Wang M. Iron deficiency and other types of anemia in infants and children. Am Fam Physician 2016; 93(4): 270-278.
  35. World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). WHO/UNICEF discussion paper: the extension of the 2025 maternal, infant and young child nutrition targets to 2030 [Internet]. UNICEF Data; 2019 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://data.unicef.org/resources/who-unicef-discussion-paper-nutrition-targets/
  36. Gallup Korea. Daily Opinion No. 316 (4th week of July 2018) (including July consolidated) [Internet]. Gallup Korea; 2018 [cited 2024 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=940
  37. Jeong HW. National identity change in South Korea : an empirical study on the rise of "Two Nations-Two States" identities. Peace Stud 2017; 25(2): 43-86. https://doi.org/10.21051/PS.2017.10.25.2.43
  38. Kim SH. MZ generation's perception of unification. Proceedings of 84th IPUS Unification Studies Forum; 2022 Jan 19; p. 1-41.
  39. Kwon S. Determinants of individuals' preferences toward North Korea policy, 2007-2014. J Peace Stud 2016; 17(5): 165-191. https://doi.org/10.14363/kaps.2016.17.5.165
  40. Min TE. South-south conflict: humanitarian aid to North Korea. Korean J Legis Stud 2016; 22(3): 201-229.
  41. Lee HS, Park JS. Interest-based perceptions on unification and policy preferences in South Korea. Natl Strategy 2016; 22(4): 34-64. https://doi.org/10.35390/sejong.22.4.201611.002