North Korea loses access to foreign cash as China trade drops 70%

DALIAN, China -- Trade between North Korea and China plunged nearly 70% on the year between January and May after Pyongyang closed the border to prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus, depriving it of a key source of foreign currency.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's isolated regime suspended entry of all foreign nationals traveling for business or leisure in late January. Trains coming in from China and Russia have been halted, and international flights have been grounded. Shipments of goods have also been restricted.