According to the U.S. military, North Korean authorities have issued shoot-to-kill orders to prevent the Covid-19 virus from getting into the country.

General Robert B. Abrams, Commander of the U.S. Forces Korea said in an online conference on Sep. 10: "This is fundamentally about preventing Covid from getting into North Korea, and it's understandable, right?"

"They have a poor health system, 60 per cent of the population is malnourished. They don't have the medical capacity, and a very large outbreak could be devastating," added Abrams.

Abrams also said that the regime has an additional buffer zone of about one to two kilometers from the Chinese border, and Special Operation Forces manning the area.

Risk from smugglers

North Korea has not confirmed a single case of a Covid-19 infection to date.

The country closed their borders at the end of January when the number of infections in China was at its peak.

This shutdown has dropped imports from China by 85 per cent, according to Abrams.

This shutdown has increased the demand for smuggled goods, which prompted authorities to further regulate the borders.

According to New York Times, United Nations sanctions on the country have affected North Korea's economy in recent years, making illegal smuggling from China a lifeline.

They were also hit by three back-to-back typhoons that caused extensive damage to infrastructure.

Abrams said: "The regime right now and their military is focused principally on getting their country recovered, and to help mitigate the risk of Covid-19."

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Top image via Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images