North Korea is grappling with a severe crisis as border closures, implemented since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, have plunged the nation into profound hardship. Reports indicate a surge in suicides, widespread poverty, and a devastating food shortage, painting a grim picture of life under Kim Jong Un's regime.

Experts, like Anthony Ruggerio, Senior Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, criticize the Kim regime for prioritizing military spending and luxury goods over the welfare of its people. He advocates for sanctions against the regime and its enablers as a means to alleviate the suffering.

Recent accounts from ordinary North Koreans, shared with the BBC in collaboration with NK Daily, reveal the extent of the crisis. A medicine seller, identified as Myong Suk, describes a collapsing economy and the worst food crisis in memory.

Radio Free Asia, citing government sources, reports a 40% increase in suicides over the past year, a figure attributed to rising poverty and starvation. The South Korean National Intelligence Service confirms growing internal unrest stemming from the widespread hardship. In response, Kim Jong Un has reportedly declared suicide an act of treason, ordering preventative measures.

A local official from North Hamgyong province, speaking anonymously to the BBC, described emergency meetings held to address the alarming suicide rates. He highlighted the increasing desperation and the lack of effective solutions offered by the government.

The official shared a harrowing anecdote about a boy orphaned by starvation whose grandparents subsequently took their own lives due to hunger. The accounts from North Koreans reveal the devastating consequences of the crisis.

A construction worker, using the pseudonym Chan Ho, explains that his meager income is no longer sufficient to feed his family. He describes soaring food prices and the inability to afford basic necessities. The border closure has also disrupted access to essential agricultural inputs like fertilizer and machinery, exacerbating the food shortage.

Another resident, Ji Yeon, details her struggle to supplement her family's income through small-scale trading, which has become increasingly difficult due to tightened security measures. She describes going days without food and the pervasive sense of desperation and self-preservation that has gripped the nation.

These accounts offer a chilling glimpse into the dire situation unfolding in North Korea, where citizens are facing unprecedented levels of hardship and an uncertain future.