Some 20 countries who are traditional allies of North Korea have scaled back or severed diplomatic relations with the North in recent days.
 
Portugal has cut off ties with Pyongyang after 42 years while Mexico, Peru, Spain, Kuwait and Italy have expelled North Korean ambassadors from their countries.
 
The Wall Street Journal says the Trump administration, based on a completed list of North Korean interests abroad, is demanding related countries to impose specific sanctions on the North such as cutting off diplomatic relations. 
 
Some observers note the diplomatic isolation could reduce what North Korea earns through narcotics and counterfeit money trade, and affect the financing of its nuclear and missile development. 
 
Radio Free Asia also reported that as global sanctions tighten, the cost of daily necessities in North Korean markets is on the rise. 

[Photo : ]