Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea, has reportedly ordered the citizens of the country to hand over pet dogs to tackle the problem of food shortage gripping the nation.

He reportedly criticized pet ownership of dogs as "a tainted trend of bourgeois ideology".

The Republic World quoted South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper as saying that the authorities in the country have identified families having pet dogs and are forcing them to give up their pets.

However, the move has reportedly sparked resentment among a large section of people.

North Korea, of late, has been under the grip of paucity of food.

In June, Tomas Ojea Quintana, UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea had told the UN Security Council that many families of North Korea eat only twice a day, while many others are facing starvation.