Qu Dongyu, the Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has announced that he is ready to resume aid to North Korea.
On the 18th, Radio Free Asia reported that Qu visited North Korea from the 13th to the 16th; Qu toured the Kangdong Greenhouse Complex, the Kangdong Central Vegetable Research Institute, and the Pyeongchon fish farm in North Korea during his visit.
Qu praised North Korea’s agricultural development and food security achievements despite the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, climate change, and sanctions. He expressed gratitude for being the first representative of a UN agency to visit North Korea since the pandemic.
He thanked North Korean authorities for their cooperation and support for FAO activities, stating that the FAO is ready to provide more professional skills and global experience. Qu urged the North Korean government to explore new opportunities for cooperation and resource mobilization with the FAO to help the most vulnerable people. He emphasized the importance of innovation, digitization, and green development to increase the agricultural sector’s transition, productivity, efficiency, and resilience. Specifically, he stressed the need to increase the production of poultry products, seafood, and high-efficiency feed products to improve meat quality.
Qu’s visit is the first time an international agency official has entered North Korea since the COVID-19 outbreak. The country had sealed its borders in response to the pandemic, prompting all international organizations to leave. Even after reopening, North Korea has not permitted their return.
However, North Korea did not publicly acknowledge Qu’s visit. The Chinese Embassy in North Korea announced that Qu met with Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun at the embassy on the 14th.