The North had reduced the size of Pyongyang by relinquishing most of the capital's south and a portion of its west to neighboring North Hwanghae Province, South Korea's Unification Ministry said last year.
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The move reduced the city's population by about 500,000 to 2.5 million.
However, the North has now incorporated Kangnam County in North Hwanghae Province back into Pyongyang, according to a 2011 almanac map from North Korea, a copy of which was obtained by Yonhap News Agency.
"The move appears to be aimed at using Kangnam County as a supplier of food to Pyongyang residents as the rural area is a major agricultural producer," said Kwon Tae-jin, an expert on North Korea at the Korea Rural Economic Institute in Seoul.
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.
Pyongyang is home to the ruling elite that governs the country through rations and a military-first policy. It is located in the southwest region of the country, which is believed to have a total population of 24 million.
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