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North Korea has announced that they are putting their whole country on ‘strict’ lockdown after a new case of Covid infection was confirmed.
According to state media, the country’s capital, Pyongyang, was the site where the first infection was reported. Authorities revealed no numbers for affected individuals so far.
Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of North Korea, has assured his people that they will eliminate all signs and symptoms of this outbreak. The first time he was seen wearing a mask was when addressing the nation on state television, which is believed to be the first time he did since they imposed lockdown protocols in 2020.
North Korea closed its borders in early 2020 to avoid contracting the virus. However, when international aid groups offered Astrazeneca and Sinovac vaccines months ago, they were rejected by the North Korean government. As many as 25 million people in North Korea could be at risk if not given protection.
The North Korean government faces a foe that they are unprepared for. All of their citizens are unvaccinated. Therefore, risks are high.
The country prepares for the worst and hopes for the best as they have been informed of a virus discovered in their nation’s capital. Leader Kim Jong-Un issued an emergency broadcast on Thursday. According to a South Korean-based monitoring site, Mr. Kim ordered nationwide lockdowns, most especially in Pyongyang, anticipating the new threat that could potentially affect millions of North Koreans.
Meanwhile, Pyongyang is yet to reply to the South Korean government’s offer for medical assistance should the crisis heighten.
With the country’s healthcare system status, North Korea is racing with time to improve its population’s wellness. The pressure is also coupled with millions of unvaccinated citizens and a limited number of test kits.
North Korea might also downscale the number of its nuclear activities following the development. Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University, explains that this possible recline for nuke-related work could be attributed to how urgent coronavirus threats have replaced foreign military operations as prime concerns.
However, even when the country faces such adversity, the North Korean military is seemingly not dropping nuclear-related activities off their top list after firing three short-range missiles at the Sea of Japan. This was done mere hours after the televised announcement of Mr. Kim.
In a similar position as Easley, a professor from the University of North Korean Studies, Yong Moo-jin affirmed that North Korea could lessen its nuclear activities to counteract the effects of an outbreak. However, Yong fears that if the health crisis escalates and there is fear among North Koreans, Mr. Kim could restart his nuke testing “to divert this fear to another place.”
Despite the government’s claim that they successfully prevented Covid from entering North Korea, many reports suggest otherwise. In June of last year, some officials were punished for “Covid-related issues.” In September, North Korean military personnel were seen in hazmat suits and face masks.
In 2020, North Korea was one of the few countries that immediately closed its borders after the official declaration of the pandemic, but it came at a high cost. The lockdown prevented food shipments into North Korea, which led to shortages.
At this moment, the future of North Koreans depends on how effective the government’s strategy is.
Opinions expressed by US Insider contributors are their own.
