The DPRK is being heavily sanctioned, they aren’t isolationist by choice. They do a good amount of trade with China, Russia, etc, and have embassies around the world. That’s kinda like asking why Cuba locked themselves up. As for starvation, that was largely during the Arduous March a couple decades ago from weather disasters combined with the dissolution of the USSR, the DPRK is currently fairly food secure.
The DPRK is being heavily sanctioned, they aren’t isolationist by choice. They do a good amount of trade with China, Russia, etc, and have embassies around the world. That’s kinda like asking why Cuba locked themselves up. As for starvation, that was largely during the Arduous March a couple decades ago from weather disasters combined with the dissolution of the USSR, the DPRK is currently fairly food secure.