After a brief stint of sober civility, it looks as though North Korea is off the wagon once again.

The notoriously reclusive regime has long lived in the shadow of an otherwise civil world.  Their innumerable human rights abuses, along with the staggering poverty and aggressive military machismo, have kept North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un, on the outside looking in on the international community.

Donald Trump sought to change all that, giving the dainty despot a chance to prove his commitment to reengaging the globe.

And, for a minute there, it looked like it had worked.  North Korea and South Korea were once again on solid diplomatic footing, and the leaders of both nations even took part in a historic ceremony in the demilitarized zone, with each stepping onto the soil of the others’ nation.

Soon after those historic steps, North Korea had reverted back to their previous incarnation, threatening the US with nuclear war and starving their people.

The latest news out of Pyongyang is dismal.

Official rations are down to 300 grammes – under 11 ounces – per person per day, the lowest ever for this time of year, the U.N. said following a food security assessment it carried out at Pyongyang’s request from March 29 to April 12.

It found that 10.1 million people were suffering from severe food insecurity, “meaning they do not have enough food till the next harvest,” U.N. World Food Program spokesman Herve Verhoosel said.

North Korea’s population is around 25.2 million, according to its Central Bureau of Statistics, the report said.

Experts warn that the situation could devolve into a “famine” in the coming years.

Had North Korea remained on the path to inclusivity, a great number of sanctions against the regime would have been reevaluated, allowing the tiny nation to again import supplies…including food.

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