As North Korea’s economy is quickly deteriorating, the country’s most vulnerable citizens are at greater risk of hunger.

For the past few months, Kim Jong un’s-country has been experiencing a food crisis.

Experts have determined that, despite the ruling government’s attempts to play it down, the situation is worse with each passing day. 

Defectors based in South Korea have said that their family in the North are starving.

As winter approaches, there is worry that the most vulnerable may go hungry. 

It’s becoming more difficult to get information out of North Korea.

Since January of last year, the border has been blocked to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from China.

Even sending letters to relatives and friends who have defected to South Korea is fraught with danger. 

North Korea has imposed severe rules to protect itself against the deadly coronavirus that struck the country last year.

As a result, the country’s economy, particularly its commerce with its important partner, China, has suffered a significant setback. 

North Korea has long had food shortages, but the coronavirus outbreak has exacerbated an already dire situation.

Kim Jong-un, the country’s supreme leader, has compared the present situation to the country’s biggest calamity, the “Arduous March,” in the 1990s, when hundreds of thousands of people perished in a famine.

The situation isn’t considered to be that awful — yet – and there are some encouraging indicators.

The North looks to be prepared to reopen its border with China, but it’s unclear how much trade and help will be required to heal the poor country’s economic damage.

(With inputs from agencies)