Jack Kim and Heekyong Yang

SEOUL (Reuters). – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated Saturday that the spreading of COVID-19 has thrown his country into “great trouble” and called on the world to fight the epidemic. As many as 21 deaths per day were recorded among those with fever,

This week, North Korea acknowledged a COVID epidemic for the first-time and imposed a national lockdown. The country’s basic healthcare system was not subject to any testing and no treatment campaigns were underway.

Kim said that “the spread of the malignant infectious disease is a great trouble to fall upon our country since its founding,” according to state media KCNA.

“But, if the Party and all its members are united in their efforts to implement epidemic policies and keep strong control and organisation power based on unity and single-mindedness of party and people, then we will be able to overcome the crisis.

These numbers are likely to represent just a fraction, considering North Korea’s limited testing capabilities. Experts believe that this could result in thousands of deaths from one of the two remaining countries with no vaccination program.

It is possible that the outbreak will worsen a severe food shortage, as the government locks down efforts to prevent drought and mobilize labour.

The Workers Party Meeting heard that approximately 280,810 people were being treated for fevers and 27 people died since a reported outbreak of a fever unidentified in the late April.

The new deaths could not be attributed to COVID, according to state media. According to KCNA, one person died from Omicron variant COVID.

524.440 people have been diagnosed with fever by Friday. Despite the fact that approximately 243,630 patients have received treatment, KCNA does not know how many others have tested positive or confirmed their COVID status.

North Korea tests about 1400 people every week. According to Kee, a Harvard Medical School researcher who worked on health projects in North Korea, it is not enough to assess the symptoms of the many thousands.

Learn from China’s Success

Kim said that although the crisis was caused incompetently and irresponsibly by party organisation, it could still be transmitted. Kim also stated that faith must be maintained in order to end the crisis as quickly and effectively as possible.

Meeting also heard from officials responsible for epidemic control that in most cases human casualties are due to negligence or drug overdoses caused by lack of information.

Kim donated his medical supplies to his family for those in hardship, KCNA stated.

Kim said, “It is important to actively learn from advanced and rich antiepidemic achievements and experience already accumulated by the Chinese party or people in fighting against malicious epidemic.”

China and Russia offer vaccine assistance, although Pyongyang does not appear to be seeking it.

Kim’s statement will cause health officials in China to look more closely at China’s zero-COVID policies and maybe reach out, Cheong Seongchang, the head of Sejong Institute’s North Korea Studies near Seoul, explained.

In an analysis, he stated that “By natural extensions, we can expect China to request COVID-19 treatment or testing equipment.”

Many people around the globe are trying to live without COVID. However, China has a zero-COVID policy that places hundreds of millions of citizens in cities with tight mobility restrictions.

According to KCNA, North Korea stated that workers, youth, and party members continued to mobilize for the prevention of drought damage, and rice-planting work in various parts of the country.

North Korea did not report on possible sources of the epidemic. Seoul-based news website, which reports directly from North Korean sources, said that Friday’s test results showed positive for students at a Pyongyang university who had taken part in an event held on May 1. Kim was present at the event.

According to the Daily NK website, relatives of the students worked with China in trade and could have passed the virus on when the students visited Pyongyang.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the authenticity of this report.

North Korea’s frontier with China was opened for trade in January. But, in April China suspended freight services between Dandong (on its side) and North Korea’s Sinuiju because of COVID in China.