N.Korea halts rail crossings from Chinese border, where COVID is on the rise -Yonhap

Cross-border freight train services between North Korea and China have been suspended after a series of COVID-19 infections in the Chinese border city of Dandong, the Yonhap news agency said on Friday. Authorities in Dandong acted on a request from North Korea, the agency said, citing unidentified sources.

Cross-border freight train services between North Korea and China have been suspended after a series of COVID-19 infections in the Chinese border city of Dandong, the Yonhap news agency said on Friday.

Authorities in Dandong acted on a request from North Korea, the agency said, citing unidentified sources. The suspension came less than four months after North Korea eased its years-long border lockdowns against the coronavirus that began early in 2020. International aid groups say the strict lockdowns worsened economic problems and threatened food supplies to millions in North Korea.

Authorities in Seoul, the capital of neighboring South Korea, said they were keeping watch on the situation. "The government is closely monitoring possible changes in related moves following COVID-19 cases in the Dandong region," said an official of the unification ministry, which is charged with handling relations between the two countries.

As of Wednesday, Dandong had 77 residential compounds under lockdown, while citizens in other parts of the city were asked to stay within designated areas. The Chinese city has been combating a COVID-19 outbreak since late April, reporting 220 infections from April 24-27.