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In 2024, the population of South Korea was estimated to be about million. The population of North Korea was approximately million, which is roughly half the population of South Korea.

Economic comparison between South and North Korea

Following the Korean War (1950-1953), South Korea and North Korea pursued vastly different trajectories, both politically and economically. South Korea embraced capitalism and free market principles, which fueled its rapid economic growth and transformed it into one of the world's leading economies. In contrast, North Korea adopted a state-controlled, centrally planned economy, leading to isolation and economic stagnation. While South Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) reached around trillion South Korean won in 2023, only about ** trillion won was recorded for North Korea. 

Food crisis in North Korea

North Korea has faced food insecurity for a long time, and this has been exacerbated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was estimated that the country had a food shortage of around ** metric tons in 2023. Although the North Korean government maintains a centrally planned economic system, food distribution has long been a problem, as an increasing number of North Korean defectors have reported that they have never received food from North Korean authorities.