North Korea has reportedly closed down its borders with China as part of its increased pandemic prevention plan.
Sources with knowledge in the matter said that the country has cut off nearly all trade with its neighbor and at one point a customs official was executed for improperly handling imported goods.
Data published by China's customs administration showed that South Korea's imports of goods from the country dropped by 99% in October. Within the months of September and October, China only exported goods worth about $253,000 to the reclusive nation.
China is currently South Korea's largest trading partner and is considered to be its economic lifeline. Before sanctions were put in place after it pushed ahead with its nuclear program in 2017, North Korea acquired 90% of its foreign goods from China.
Analysts said that cutting off its trade with China is likely a last-resort effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus into the country. Risking its food and fuel supply is extreme considering China is only reporting a handful of new cases each day.
North Korea has not been public about its number of positive cases. The country has claimed that it has the virus under control and it has not had any new infections. A South Korean lawmaker said that sources have revealed the opposite and Pyongyang is struggling to contain the disease.
State-owned media said the country is enacting new and stricter anti-pandemic measures. This included the tightening of its borders with an increased number of soldiers at border crossings and coastal areas.
Former U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Pacific, Evans Revere, said that South Korea's "already serious" situation may have gotten "a lot worse" based on its decision to cut off trade with China. Revere said that the combination of severe weather, crop shortages, and international sanctions could further worsen South Korea's situation.
South Korea's decision to close down its borders has affected trade in the other direction. Customs data showed that imports from Korea last month dropped by 74% year-on-year. Several Chinese companies do rely on cheap labor in North Korea. Companies such as wig manufacturers regularly send raw materials to Pyongyang and pay companies there to create their finished products.
