Growing children hunger is pushing North Korean teenagers into state orchards throughout Kwail county this summer. A local source recently described the pattern to a regional outlet covering North Korean affairs. Consequently, worsening food shortages have driven kids to steal peaches and plums directly from trees.
Indeed, groups of two or three teenagers now regularly slip into orchards during peach and plum season. Meanwhile, orchard guards have grown increasingly reluctant to punish children caught eating or taking fruit. According to the source, guards typically shout to scare children away rather than chase them down. Kwail county serves as a major hub within North Korea’s broader fruit production industry. Most fruit grown there, however, ultimately reaches central government officials and residents in Pyongyang.
Furthermore, authorities assign discharged military veterans to guard these orchards and prevent unauthorized fruit removal. Despite this tight security, children continue sneaking in regularly to combat persistent hunger. Notably, the source explained that motivations have shifted significantly compared to previous years entirely. Until last year, most children picked fruit specifically to sell for money instead. This year, rising food prices and living costs have pushed hunger to the forefront.
Additionally, children often time their visits around noon, when guards and workers eat lunch. Some even leave school early once hunger becomes unbearable and head straight for trees. Rather than tell parents about their hunger, many children choose to sneak into orchards. Some reportedly resort to eating unripe corn straight from stalks to feel full.
Meanwhile, guards and farmworkers alike have responded with noticeable sympathy rather than strict enforcement. They understand hunger drives this behavior and fear formal reports could bring public shame. However, guards do intervene when children take excessive quantities that could affect harvest yields. Ultimately, this children hunger crisis reflects broader economic struggles rippling through North Korean communities nationwide.
