Many believe North Korea’s economy has been pushed to the edge due to a series of United Nations sanctions imposed on the reclusive state for its nuclear and missile programs, coupled with the recent worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 that has had impacts on its trade after its border closure. Liang Tuang Nah, a Research Fellow of RSIS in Singapore, said the North has two unique factors that could help it survive the economic difficulties. “Firstly, its citizens have been so deeply indoctrinated to be loyal to the Kim regime. Secondly, they have a rather high tolerance for material deprivation. For instance, the Arduous March in the mid- to late 1990s, caused by a series of natural disasters, inflicted horrible suffering on North Koreans,” he said.