Seoul, South Korea: After claiming to be coronavirus-free for more than two years since the outbreak of COVID-19, North Korea has admitted the omicron outbreak in the second week on May 2022. Official data shows that nearly 10% of its 26 million citizens have fallen ill and 65 people have died.
N. Korea's anti-epidemic center has since released fever tallies via state media every morning, but the absence of COVID-19 figures raises suspicion. Outside experts question the validity of its reported fatalities and there's a rising concern about a possible humanitarian crisis. They believe the authorities are hiding mortality rate in an attempt to prove their pandemic response is effective. The country lacks test kits to confirm a large number of virus cases.
Some observers say that just to avoid public discontent against leader Kim Jong Un, the authorities were forced to acknowledge the outbreak as they were unable to hide the highly contagious viral spread.
Kwak Gil Sup, head of One Korea Center, a website specializing in North Korean affairs, said, “It’s true that there has been a hole in its 2 1/2 years of pandemic fighting,” further adding, “But there is a saying that North Korea is ’a theater state,′ and I think they are massaging COVID-19 statistics.”
Kwak believes the country has plans that include seeking China's help and other foreign aid if things get out of hand, and that the authorities are hogging the outbreak as a propaganda tool to show that they are overcoming the pandemic with Kim’s leadership.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency, the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters reported more cases with feverish symptoms, 263,370 to be exact, and two deaths on Friday, raising the fever cases to 2.24 million and fatalities to 65 with 754,810 people under quarantine.
Sources say the military parade held in Pyongyang on April 25 to exhibit new missiles and loyal troops might be the origin point. The parade marked North Korea’s army foundation anniversary, drew thousands of civilians and soldiers from Pyongyang and the rest of North Korea.
But the intel gathered by South Korea’s spy agency claims that a considerable number of the fever cases reported by their neighboring country include people sick with waterborne diseases like measles, typhoid and pertussis.
Some media reports said North Korea had already sent planes to China to import emergency supplies. South Korea said it has offered to ship vaccines, medicines and other medical supplies, but there has been no response from the North.
Source: The Associated Press
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