evidence: Contemporary conversations about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) often emphasize the country’s relationship with its much larger political neighbour and ally, the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It is well known that the PRC supplies the North Korean state with much of its fuel and food, making this bilateral relationship the DPRK’s most consequential. So for outside observers attempting to peer into the inner workings of this exchange, the roughly 1400-kilometer shared border between the two countries along the Yalu and Tumen Rivers forms a natural place to turn.