N. Korea's grain harvest seen improving: source

BEIJING, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's grain harvest is expected to grow about 8 percent this year from 2012 thanks to relatively favorable weather conditions, a source with the knowledge of food situation in the communist nation said Wednesday.

The North is estimated to produce as much as 5.3 million tons of grains this year, a 7.7 percent increase from 4.92 million tons last year, the source said on the condition of anonymity.

This year's estimated grain harvest roughly meets with the North's annual demand of 5.4 million tons. The annual demand was calculated by South Korea's state-run Korea Rural Economic Institute.

"Grain harvest in North Korea this year is much better than last year because there were no big natural disasters, except for heavy rains in July this year," the source said.

According to United Nations data, about 2.4 million North Koreans still face food shortages and nearly a third of children under 5 in the reclusive state suffer chronic malnutrition.

North Korea has been under an array of international sanctions because of its repeated nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

kdh@yna.co.kr

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