Since Jan. 2020, North Korea’s already-small foreign community has shrunk to unprecedented levels due to Pyongyang’s strict COVID-19 prevention measures. One by one, European missions have been “temporarily” shutting down offices since March. Meanwhile, U.N. workers have decreased by at least a third, and only three of seven humanitarian organizations remain on the ground.

Making problems worse for those still operating in the DPRK, COVID-19 prevention measures bar staff from leaving the capital or rotating new members in and out of the country. As a result, on-the-ground work is being severely hampered for everyone.[/p