By Kim Se-jeong
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il asked China for $10 billion worth of direct investment and one million tons of food during his visit to Beijing last May, according to the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, Friday.
Quoting an anonymous diplomatic source based in Seoul, the Japanese daily said that “apart from the direct investment, Kim asked Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to offer one million tons of food and 800,000 tons of oil.”
But China refused to make any promises, it said.
Kim reportedly returned home one day earlier than he had originally planned because he failed to convince Beijing to assist the country, which is suffering from severe poverty.
Some sources said Wen promised assistance but the amount is unknown.
One day earlier, the newspaper reported that following Kim’s visit, Beijing had acknowledged his deteriorating health and sent a note to the United States.
According to the Ministry of Unification, this year’s food shortage in the reclusive North is expected to reach 1.3 million tons.
The food and economic conditions there have gone from bad to worse, especially after the Cheonan crisis, reports said.
After the joint investigation concluded that it was a North Korean torpedo that sunk South Korea’s naval ship Cheonan in March, South Korea cut trade flows with North Korea.
In the international arena the communist state further lost credit, making previous donors reluctant to provide food.