A file photo taken on November 21, 2017 shows children walking on a frozen river near Raksan on North Korea's northeast coast. AFP PHOTOSEOUL: Behind its self-imposed coronavirus barricade, North Korea is more isolated than ever and authorities are reinforcing loyalty to the regime in the face of desperate times, analysts say. The "Arduous March" is a North Korean term for the 1990s famine that killed hundreds of thousands of people when the fall of the Soviet Union left it without crucial support. But at the same time, analysts note, the virus enables Pyongyang to disclaim accountability for its economic travails. Go Myong-hyun of the Asan Institute of Policy Studies said: "North Korean authorities can blame the virus for whatever problems that existed long before the outbreak."

Source: Manila Times June 09, 2021 04:05 UTC