There are reports that North Korea's food supplies are so dire that Pyongyang is pleading for supplies from some of the world's poorest nations.

North Korea has suffered from severe famine after poor harvests in recent years.

A South Korean newspaper citing diplomatic sources says Pyongyang has been seeking food from some of the poorest countries in Africa, among them Zimbabwe.

Seoul once provided nearly 500,000 tonnes of rice to its impoverished neighbour, but that aid stopped three years ago when relations worsened.

There has also been a drop in donations to United Nations food programs operating in North Korea after the closed communist state stepped up its nuclear and missile programs.