Washington Post: With coronavirus, North Korea’s isolation is a possible buffer but also a worry →

With coronavirus, North Korea’s isolation is a possible buffer but also a worry

By Simon Denyer 

March 4, 2020 at 12:36 a.m. EST

TOKYO — With the coronavirus, it may pay to be an isolated, paranoid loner.

As the epidemic grips China to the north and spreads quickly in South Korea on the other side of the demilitarized zone, North Korea’s separation from the global economy presents a rare advantage.

While the world frets about the coronavirus, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has moved way down the global agenda. That could work in Kim’s favor, said Jean Lee at the Wilson Center. “The isolation buys him time to focus on his nuclear strategy as he watches political developments in the United States,” she said, before voicing a more hopeful thought.

“I’d like to see Kim accept goodwill offers of humanitarian assistance for the sake of his people,” she said. “That might also open up a window of diplomatic opportunity.”