Did North Korea survive the Corona virus?

As is often true in North Korea, so is Corona's crisis - hard facts are few instead, propaganda, assumptions, and gossip. Only one thing is certain: the regime began to react to the unseen threat in late January, well ahead of Europe. The state newspaper Rodong Sinmum described the fight against the virus as a matter of “national survival”.

However, on March 13th, the North Korean government told the World Health Organisation (OBSH) that there was no single case of COVID-19 lung disease in the country. At the same time, neighboring China reported on more than 800 infected people, and in South Korea, there were fewer than 8,000 people in the other half of Korea's divided peninsula.

No Training, No Flights

There is today a ban on entry and exit in North Korea, air and railway traffic has been suspended, schools and universities have closed. All foreigners in the country were placed under a 30-day quarantine, even diplomats were not exempt from this and were only allowed to move to a very limited degree. Germany removed its embassy personnel at the end of February.

Neither the accepted nuclear power army is exempt from the measures. For example, General Robert Abrams, commander of the US Army in South Korea, reported on March 13th that the North Korean Armed Forces had <x0 years closed for about 30 days” and “had just recently begun routine exercises”.

As an example, the U.S. General quotes North Korean Air Force: “They have not mounted a plane for 24 days”. The US Army is “fairly safe”, Abrams said, there are cases COVID-19 in North Korea.

Trump writes Kim Jong Un

The dictatorship has focused on complete internal control. North Korea sends a clear signal to the outside world that it does not want anyone to dictate anything - for example, in March, as more and more countries reported rising levels of infection, the country tested four ballistic missiles demonstratedly. A day after the third test of North Korean rockets, on 22 March a news report from the North Korean state news agency KCNA called attention: The KCNA reported on a personal letter from US President Donald Trump to incumbent Kim Jong Un.

According to the news, Trump not only insisted on paper for an improved bilateral relationship but also proposed co-operation in the fight against the epidemic. The White House confirmed the letter without entering into detail.

Truth or Lie About Coronan

Worldwide (April 7, 2020, 9:30 a.m.), have already infected more than 1.3 million people, and almost 75,000 patients have died of Corona infection. But the official statement of the Phoenix regime has not changed until now: zero cases of COVID-19 in North Korea. Many have doubts about that. Among them is American journalist Jean H. Lee. It has been regularly in North Korea between 2008 and 2017. From 2011 to 2013, she spent a lot of time in gyjan as a foreign correspondent for the American news agency Associated Press.

Today she runs the program for Korea at Woodrow Center Wilson in Washington. “Unfortunately, there are currently very few foreigners in the country who can provide a better picture of what is happening,” reports Lee. “It's almost impossible for foreigners to approach a hospital to see what's going on there”.

Lee is convinced there are cases of Corona. She doesn't trust government denial. This is hard for me to believe in” This border extends to a distance of 4,000 miles [1,400 km]. According to the prestigious North Korean portal 38North, North Korea closed border crossings with China in late January for travelers and freight traffic. Only one crossing point is open to import goods, under strict quarantine regulations.

However, the virus had spread to China for two months before the border was closed -- and it seems unlikely it was stopped at the border of North Korea, the neighbor who needs an urgent exchange with China.

Outside Help

North Korea has some 25 million inhabitants. If allegations of an explosion of Corona were confirmed, the health system would face a task that cannot be realised without outside assistance. “Populsia is very sensitive to infectious diseases due to chronic malnutrition”, says former North Korea correspondent Jean H. Lee.

On February 26th, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it sent 1500 cases with tests to North Korea. Aid organisations such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Halfage Associations (SNRF) have also launched relief shipments. Medical goods such as protective gloves, facial masks, testing equipment and antibiotics are clearly excluded from UN sanctions. However, any assistance must be approved by the relevant UN Sanctions Committee.