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1 1 (October 25, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govenho0001 and id is 1 raw text is: S Congressional ____ aResearch Service North Korea Reopens (Selectively) October 25, 2023 At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, North Korea (officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK) almost completely sealed off its borders and refrained from virtually all diplomatic interaction. In 2023, North Korea has ended that isolation by engaging with Russia and the People's Republic of China (PRC or China). North Korea and Russia have exchanged high-level delegations, including a week-long trip to Russia by DPRK leader Kim Jong-un, and appear to have upgraded their cooperation, including reports of DPRK weapons transfers to Russia. North Korea's trade with other countries, principally China, has nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The opening appears limited to Russia, China, and DPRK citizens living abroad, whom North Korea had prohibited from returning since early 2020. Pyongyang has rejected U.S. and South Korean attempts to communicate. The reopening potentially has implications for Russia's war against Ukraine, the viability of sanctions against North Korea, North Korea's humanitarian and refugee situations, and possible future U.S.-DPRK dialogue. Diplomatic Reopening In September 2023, Kim traveled to Russia's Far East, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and visited Russia's newest spaceport, a factory producing advanced jets, and Russia's Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok. Reportedly, Putin agreed to a reciprocal visit to North Korea and said Russia is prepared to help North Korea build and perhaps launch satellites. In October 2023, the Biden Administration released satellite imagery it says is evidence of North Korea shipping to Russia over 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions that arrived at an ammunition depot near the Russia-Ukraine border. High-level Russian delegations, led by the Russian Defense Minister and Foreign Minister, visited Pyongyang in July and October, respectively. Lavrov reportedly announced bilateral relations have reached a qualitatively new, strategic level. Also in 2023, North Korea allowed both the PRC and Russian embassies to bring in diplomats for the first time since early 2020. Commercial Reopening After a sharp decline in trade in 2020, North Korea's estimated trade rebounded in the first half of 2023, nearly returning to pre-COVID-19 levels. In the four years before the pandemic, DPRK trade had Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12272 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

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