Fearing that the country’s underdeveloped public health system can’t handle a full-on coronavirus outbreak, North Korea’s leadership has largely cordoned off the country with a series of paralyzing policies that will likely exacerbate the country’s already suffering economy.

In some regards, a swing towards increased isolation is in sync with plans Kim Jong Un announced at the Plenum of the 7th Central Committee in December. Pyongyang’s leadership believes the best way to ride out sanctions is to increase self-reliance. In the same speech, Kim also revealed plans to consolidate the Cabinet’s