The World Health Organization (WHO) announced last week that the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a global emergency. But while life in most countries has already returned to normal, North Korea continues to enforce an extreme border lockdown, and it’s unclear how or if the U.N. agency’s announcement will change this.

On one hand, multiple informed sources have told NK Pro recently that DPRK embassies have monitored the WHO closely for news about a potential shift. According to these sources, North Korea has been waiting for a change in the WHO’s assessment of