Travis King disappeared into a North Korea more isolated than ever

FILE PHOTO: South Korean soldiers stand guard at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, May 1, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - When U.S. soldier Travis King sprinted across the border into North Korea from the South this week, he disappeared into a North Korea where lingering COVID-19 concerns and restrictions have made the already secretive country more isolated than ever.

During the pandemic North Korea stopped all international travel and most trade, built a lengthy border wall, and even shot some would-be unauthorised border crossers early in the outbreak.