N. Korea's mask imports from China plunge 78% in May

North Korean youths gather at the Central Youth Hall in Pyongyang to remember and praise North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung, before the 29th anniversary of the former leader's death in this July 5 photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

North Korea's mask imports from China tumbled 78 percent in May from a month earlier, trade data showed Sunday, as it appears to have recently eased strict COVID-19 restrictions.

The North's mask imports from China stood at $28,746 in May, the lowest level in seven months, according to the trade data by China Customs Statistics.

Pyongyang's mask imports from China began at $523 in August 2022 and peaked at $385,887 in October, but the trade volume has steadily decreased to $198,960 in January and $129,795 in April.

North Korea shut down its borders with China in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 amid lack of vaccines, and placed mask mandates on its people.

Last week, news footage from the North's Korean Central TV showed hundreds of young people sitting close together at a theater without masks, in a sign that North Korea has eased strict COVID-19 restrictions. (Yonhap)