N. Korea‘s imports of luxury goods on sharp rise as civilians starve

SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea’s imports of luxury goods for its ruling elites have surged in recent years even as its people suffered from severe food shortages, a South Korean lawmaker said Monday.

North Korea spent roughly US$1.04 billion (1.12 trillion won) on bringing in foreign luxury items over three years until last year, Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) said in a report.

The sum breaks down into $272 million for 2008, $322.5 million for 2009 and $446 million for 2010.

The imported items were mainly for distribution to the elite class of the reclusive regime or sales to the wealthy at department stores in Pyongyang, the report said.

While imports of leather items, jewelry and musical instruments declined, imports of electronics, cars and cosmetics increased, it said. The North spent about $10 million annually to buy whiskey, wine and other alcoholic beverages during the period, the report added.

The latest revelation comes as the North is grappling with chronic food shortages that may get worse after recent heavy rains submerged or washed away tens of thousands of hectares of farmland.

Earlier this year, the U.N. food agency appealed for 430,000 tons of food aid to feed 6 million vulnerable North Korean people, a quarter of the country‘s population.

The North has relied on international handouts since the late 1990s when it suffered a massive famine that was estimated to have killed 2 million people.