1990s North Korean famine
| Arduous March | |
|---|---|
| Country | North Korea |
| Location | Nationwide |
| Period | 1995–2000 |
| Total deaths | 240,000 to 3.5 million |
| Causes | Economic mismanagement, natural disasters, international sanctions, collapse of the Soviet bloc |
| Relief | Food and humanitarian aid (1994–2002) |
| Consequences | Militarization of economy, spread of limited market activity, food aid from various countries |
| Arduous March | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 고난의 행군 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | 苦難의行軍 |
| Revised Romanization | gonanui haenggun |
| McCune–Reischauer | konanŭi haenggun |
| History of North Korea |
|---|
| North Korea portal |
The North Korean famine (Korean: 조선기근), dubbed by the government as the Arduous March (고난의 행군), was a period of mass starvation together with a general economic crisis from 1995 to 2000 in North Korea. During this time there was an increase in defection from North Korea which peaked towards the end of the famine period.
The famine stemmed from a variety of factors. Economic mismanagement and the loss of Soviet support caused food production and imports to decline rapidly. A series of floods and droughts exacerbated the crisis. The North Korean government and its centrally planned system proved too inflexible to effectively curtail the disaster. North Korea attempted to obtain aid and commercial opportunities, but failed to receive initial attention.
Estimates of the death toll vary widely. Out of a total population of approximately 22 million, somewhere between 240,000 and 3,500,000 North Koreans died from starvation or hunger-related illnesses, with the deaths peaking in 1997. A 2011 U.S. Census Bureau report estimated the number of excess deaths from 1993 to 2000 to be between 500,000 and 600,000.