hankyoreh

North Korea has asked China to export 150,000 tons of corn this year to help ease a food shortage in the North aggravated by severe flooding last year, informed sources here said Sunday.

The North's request came as China is restricting food exports due to rising domestic demand and increasing grain prices on the international market.

"At the request of North Korea, China has decided to export 50,000 tons of corn this year," one source said, adding Beijing will likely decide later on whether to ship more corn.

North Korea's corn imports from China rose 1,523 percent to 27,600 tons in February this year alone over the same period last year, according to statistics released recently by Chinese authorities.

"The sharp rise in China's corn exports to North Korea should be seen as the result of China's having increased the corn export quota for North Korea," the source said.

Another source predicted North Korea will likely ask for further exports of corn during the remainder of the year, but added "China may find it difficult to increase corn exports to North Korea for the time being until the food supply is stabilized in China where grain prices have risen sharply recently."

SHENYANG, China, April 13 (Yonhap)