Only a month after North Korea acknowledged a COVID-19 outbreak was sickening its people, the country may be preparing to declare victory.
FILE - In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits a pharmacy in Pyongyang, North Korea on May 15, 2022. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified.
The South Korean government as well as some experts believe that North Korea may soon declare that it has beaten the virus. This will be linked, of course, to Kim's strong and clever guidance. However North Korea deals with its description of the pandemic, many signs, at least in public statements, point to a declaration of success in dealing with a virus that has confounded the richest countries in the world.
“If a large number of people had died, there would have been some pieces of evidence, but there hasn't been any,” said Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Korea University in South Korea. During a huge famine in the 1990s, for instance, rumors of widespread death and of people abandoning bodies spread outside of the country, into China and South Korea.
Cho Joonghoon, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which oversees relations with North Korea, told reporters last week that the North may announce its COVID-19 crisis has been resolved this month. Because North Korea believes that the pandemic, U.N. sanctions and other economic difficulties will continue, there's little chance it will lift major restrictions soon, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'It always wins': North Korea may declare COVID-19 victorySEOUL, South Korea (AP) — It's only been a month since North Korea acknowledged having an COVID-19 outbreak, after steadfastly denying any cases for more than two years. But already it may be preparing to declare victory.
Read more »
N. Korea abruptly stops importing COVID containment goods from ChinaNorth Korea abruptly stopped importing COVID-19 prevention and control products from China in May, trade data released by Beijing showed, after the country bought face masks and ventilators from its neighbour in previous months.
Read more »
North Korea Reports Outbreak of Another Infectious DiseaseNorth Korean officials have reported a major outbreak of another infectious disease, which is affecting at least 800 families so far.
Read more »
Korea Box Office: Strong ‘Witch’ Opening Spells Third Place Debut for ‘Lightyear’The theatrical debut of much-anticipated local horror-action film “The Witch: Part 2. The Other One” dominated the Korean box office chart over the latest weekend and overshadowed the simultaneous …
Read more »