The fall of the Soviet Union was a disaster for North Korea, as it was for Cuba; not only did Soviet economic support evaporate, but the Kims could no longer play off one power against another. Only China was left, and North Korea’s dependence on its northern neighbor is now almost total.
和古巴一样，苏联解体对朝鲜来说是一场灾难；不但苏联的经济支持就此消失，金家甚至无法再游走于强国之间。对朝鲜来说，所剩只有北方邻国中国，而如今朝鲜中国的依赖可谓无以复加。只要中国切断食品和燃料供应，朝鲜指日之间就可能崩溃。