PYONGYANG - Amid signs of a worsening food crisis, the North Korean government is advising people to eat wild grass and roots, a North Korean television programme said yesterday.
"Today, I will introduce you to tasty and healthy ways to eat wild grass," an anchorwoman clad in the traditional Korean clothing said in a Central Broadcasting programme relayed by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).
International organisations say food shortages are worsening daily in North Korea, which was hit by massive floods last year. People have been seen collecting grass and roots at parks and roadsides.
Meanwhile South Korean authorities said yesterday that two North Koreans, one a scientist, were seeking political asylum in Seoul, the latest in a string of defections from the North.