Apparently the reformers in North Korea have won a round, as the north announced they will finally scrap their food rationing system (used for decades) in favor of a free market system. Another reason, of course, is desperation. The communist central planning has failed to run the agricultural system effectively (as it has failed everywhere else), while free market systems have promptly increased food availability. Moreover, there is already a growing black market that is fueling a growing system of organized crime.