Two weeks ago, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un tearfully addressed his nation and acknowledged that he has been unable to solve the myriad of “difficulties” its people face.

“My efforts and sincerity have not been sufficient enough to rid our people of the difficulties in their life,” Kim said during his military parade speech on Oct. 10.

This blunt apology – a rare move for totalitarian leaders – suggests that the country’s problems have grown too large to ignore. And the fact that there was no apparent change in the country’s COVID-19 border measures since