Well, that might be because of the country's isolated position or it might just not be true at all.

As official bulletins from Pyongyang are not considered especially reliable Regardless.

Over the past few days, North Korea has reported COVID-19 cases and that raises questions of how the pandemic might impact the country.

According to military analysts in South Korea, these pictures show work at a nuclear test site in North Korea seen with three recent missile tests and the military parade just a few weeks ago, the country is putting on a defiant show of strength behind the scenes.

A different picture kim jong un wearing a face mask for the first time ever admitting that his country too has been hit with the coronavirus.

At least six people have died taking a page out of china's playbook, North Korea has moved towards lockdowns to keep the health risk at bay.

The economic cost to the country is unknown due to covid food shortages and economic crisis might deteriorate in north Korea in order to prevent that, they are conducting food rationing measures.

So north Korea is on a very severe quarantine measures to prevent a mass outbreak of confirmed covid cases.

For now, north korean state tv shows empty streets, typical scenes for a lockdown, South Korea reports that north korean farmers were seen on their fields across the border assigned that the agricultural sector might be exempt to prevent a worsening of the country's economic situation.

I asked correspondent Frank Smith.

If there was any way to assess the economic hardship now facing North Korea take a listen.

It's difficult to know what's going on inside North Korea.

They have admitted to having something like 1.7 million cases, those that are symptomatic showing a fever, but many of the cases would be un symptomatic and that information doesn't line up with What they're saying in terms of casualties.

So far, just 62 deaths, there have been concerns about North Korea's response.

In terms of lockdowns, they have said that they're going to lock down isolate portions of the population.

Those that have appeared symptomatic and these locks down, especially if they spread across people that are not symptomatic.

In an attempt to avoid the spread of the virus.

In North Korea will have a serious effect in terms of economic repercussions on a family unit basis and health care professionals and human rights advocates worry that North Korea won't balance the economic hardships that people may experience through lockdowns with the pandemic and the effects of the pandemic itself.

If we remember North Korea was the first country really to seal its border back in january 2020 when the pandemic hit the world, that had very serious economic consequences inside North Korea shortages of medical supplies and even daily necessities the situation now on that and might be alleviated a little bit as the border with china is opening.

But still there are these concerns about the economic hardships that people may feel as a result of the government's response to the pandemic and the pandemic itself correspondent frank smith there in Seoul.