The ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs has reported that the economic gap between the Pyongyang populace and provincial residents appears to be further widening with food rations, housing and health services.

According to the unification ministry’s deputy spokesperson, residents in the capital and provinces are subject to disparate experiences with food rations and other regulations, which has worsened due to inequality in the infrastructure and access to education and healthcare.

The latest assessment comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said during a Workers' Party meeting earlier this week that the country's regional economy is in a "terrible situation" where basic living necessities are not sufficiently provided to residents.

Kim also vowed to develop the regional industrial economy by building modernized factories in 20 counties every year for the next decade.