Kim Jong Un admits lack of 'basic living necessities' is 'serious political issue' in North Korea

Join Fox News for access to this content Plus get unlimited access to thousands of articles, videos and more with your free account! Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email, you are agreeing to Fox News Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.

The dictator of North Korea made a rare acknowledgment of the poor living conditions in his country at a government meeting this week.

Supreme leader Kim Jong Un said in a Thursday speech to the Workers' Party of Korea that the disparity in quality of life between the countryside and cities must be addressed.

"Today, failure to satisfactorily provide the people in local areas with basic living necessities including condiments, foodstuff and consumption goods has arisen as a serious political issue that our Party and government can never sidestep," the dictator said to the assembly, according to Korean Central News Agency.

RUSSIAN MISSILE FOUND MARKED WITH KOREAN CHARACTER, SUGGESTING NORTH KOREA ORIGIN: REPORT

Kim urged any government official who sat idly by while the quality of life deteriorated to "admit without saying a word or an excuse" that they were incapable of carrying out the Workers' Party of Korea agenda.

The supreme leader spoke in a series of winding, verbose statements while lamenting the treatment of poor rural communities.

He told the Workers' Party members, "As we are now in the course of effecting a great change for the project of developing the countryside, which was already raised, through a grand struggle, fully aware of the importance and urgency of the building of a new socialist ideal rural construction in the light of