North Korean trade with China more than doubled last year to the highest value since the start of the pandemic, as Pyongyang boosted imports from its neighbor and largest trading partner throughout 2023.

The total volume of US$2.3 billion marks a significant increase from around $1 billion in 2022 and is not far off from the $2.8 billion mark posted in 2019, according to official data published by China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Thursday.

Experts have assessedthat the recovery of North Korean trade in 2023 is likely a major factor behind leader Kim Jong Un’s recent projection