BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Food shortage situation in North Korea has gained much interest, however food insecurity causedby the food shortage in North Korean households has not been much investigated. This study examined food security experiencesand food consumption pattern of displaced North Korean households currently living in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Food security experience among 51 North Korean households living in South Korea was examined usingthe Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) in three time points: immediately before childbirth, immediately beforeleaving North Korea, and immediately before entering South Korea. Meal/snack consumption frequencies and food diversitywere also examined. RESULTS: Food security situation was the worst at the time of immediately before leaving North Korea with the average HFIASscore of 10.05. The households that were food insecure, they tended to be “severely” insecure. Although majority of the subjectsreported having three or more meals a day, food diversity in their diet was very low with the average food diversity scoreof 2.17 immediately before childbirth and 1.74 immediately before leaving North Korea. Their diet appeared to heavily relyon grain and vegetable. CONCLUSIONS: This study is one of few that specifically examined food security of North Korean households with a pre-developedscale, and that demonstrated food security situation at different time points in quantified terms. Replicating this study withdifferent groups of North Korean households for different time points would allow more complete understanding of impactsof food shortage. Food diversity score could provide a good way to examine changes of food consumption occurring to NorthKoreans in the process of adaptation. More attention to the changes occurring during adaption to South Korea should begiven to understand the process and impact and to prepare public nutrition policy for the re-unified Korea.