COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea

No confirmed or suspected cases Possible cases


Little information is available about the COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea . The global COVID-19 pandemic first appeared in the neighboring People's Republic of China in December 2019 . The disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the Coronaviridae group . The disease belongs to the group of respiratory diseases . From March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a global pandemic .

Background and forecasts

With the People's Republic of China, North Korea borders a country with initially high numbers of people affected by COVID-19 . The border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China is considered to be permeable, the border between the two Korean states as the most closely guarded on earth. There is also a 17 km long border with Russia along a river, which only has a railway bridge as a fixed link and is considered insignificant. Experts say an epidemic in North Korea could be dire due to the country's chronic lack of medical care and poor health infrastructure. The corona virus could be much more deadly in North Korea than in neighboring China.

course

January 2020

North Korea became the first country in the world to completely close its borders on January 21, 2020; all foreigners in North Korea have been quarantined for one month. Imported goods were also isolated for 14 days. It was announced that as of January 22, 2020, foreign tourists will no longer be allowed into the country.

On January 30, 2020, the North Korean news agency KCNA reported on an emergency law and the establishment of a headquarters against the epidemics in North Korea.

February 2020

On February 29, 2020, Kim Jong-un called for stricter measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to North Korea, otherwise this will have "serious consequences" for the country.

March 2020

According to the North Korean news agency KCNA, 2,280 residents were under quarantine at the end of March 2020 . 3,600 residents had already been released from quarantine.

April 2020

According to North Korean state radio, no COVID-19 case had occurred in North Korea until April 2, 2020.

According to the World Health Organization, by April 2, 709 people in North Korea had been tested, including eleven foreigners. More than 24,800 people have been released from quarantine. This month the official website of the Ministry of Health for the COVID-19 pandemic, Inminbogon , was also likely to go live .

According to information from the South Korean Internet newspaper NK News , there has been an increasing number of panic buying since April 20 and the associated goods shortages in Pyongyang . The reason for the bottlenecks is unknown, but it has been speculated that a spreading pandemic could be the reason. On the same day, the state foreign press organization Naenara reported that the North Korean schools and universities were partially able to reopen after an extended winter vacation under strict measures to contain the virus.

The party newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea , Rodong Sinmun , warned citizens on April 21 from being arrogant and ignoring the danger of the pandemic. This is a "catastrophic disaster" that is seriously damaging to society and the economy. Even if the virus has not yet reached North Korea, the measures must still be followed.

June 2020

The World Health Organization and the North Korean Ministry of Health announced in June that all schools in North Korea are open.

July 2020

In July 2020, North Korean state media reported what may be the country's first COVID-19 case. A North Korean who fled to South Korea in 2017 has returned across the border and may be infected. This claim caused a stir in South Korea, as the border between countries is difficult to cross. But the South Korean military confirmed that someone may have fled across the border. The police then announced that there was an arrest warrant against the man for allegedly raping a woman, also a refugee from North Korea, a few days earlier.

See also

• List of epidemics and pandemics
• List of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic

Web links

Commons : COVID-19 Pandemic in North Korea  - Pictures, Videos and Audio Files Collection

• Official North Korean Pandemic Development Page and Government Action (Korean)
• Official North Korean side to the development of the pandemic and measures of the government (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Pulmonologists on the net: Covid-19: Causes . Online at www.lungenaerzte-im-netz.de. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
2. ↑ Tagesschau: "Deeply worried". WHO speaks of corona pandemic . March 11, 2020. Online at www.tagesschau.de. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
3. ↑ ^{a b} [1] . (English)
4. ↑ [2] . (English)
5. ↑ https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/warum-kim-jong-un-einen-brief-an-suedkorea-schreiben-16665796.html
6. ↑ https://www.freiheit.org/coronavirus-nordkorea-eine-frage-des-nationalen-uberlebens
7. ↑ https://www.freiheit.org/coronavirus-nordkorea-eine-frage-des-nationalen-uberlebens
8. ↑ https://taz.de/Corona-und-Nordkorea/!5672965/
9. ↑ North Korea suspends foreign tourism over coronavirus fears: Tour companies . (English)
10. ↑ [3] . (English)
11. ↑ http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=g&Seq_Code=80110
12. ↑ http://www.dtoday.de/startseite/panorama_artikel,-Berichte-Nordkorea-entlaesst-mehr-als-3600-Menschen-aus-Corona-Quarantaene-_arid,714345.html
13. ↑ SWP: [4] .
14. ↑ https://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/hahrung-fuer-kampf-und-fort war- offiziell-hat-nordkorea-keinen-corona-fall-doch-jetzt-ergracht-kim-jong-un- masshaben_id_11874935 .html
15. ↑ Kim Jeongmin: North Korea's health ministry launches new website | NK News. In: NK News. Korea Risk Group, April 23, 2020, accessed April 25, 2020 . 
16. ^ Chad O'Carroll: North Koreans "panic buying" at Pyongyang shops, sources say. In: NK News. Korea Risk Group, April 22, 2020, accessed April 25, 2020 . 
17. ↑ ^{a b} Kim Jeongmin: Back to school: North Korea partially resumes high school, university classes. In: NK News. Korea Risk Group, April 21, 2020, accessed April 25, 2020 . 
18. ↑ Hyonhee Shin: North Korea reopens schools, but stays on guard against COVID-19 threat: WHO. In: Reuters. July 1, 2020, accessed on July 28, 2020 . 
19. ↑ Shim Kyu-seok: South confirms a defector boomeranged back to North. In: Korea JoongAng Daily . July 27, 2020, accessed on July 28, 2020 .