#16,745
Although we've seen unverified rumors of suspected COVID cases in North Korea going back to early 2020, their highly secretive government has never - until a few hours ago - admitted to having cases. This despite numerous reports of lockdowns and quarantines over the past 2 years.
Overnight DRK state media KCNA announced a “major national emergency" and the first official detection of Omicron in the capital Pyongyang (see CNN Report).
KCNAWATCH.org has posted the following translated report from North Korea's state media:
Political Bureau of C.C., WPK Decides to Switch over from State Epidemic Prevention Work to Maximum Emergency Epidemic Prevention System
Date: 12/05/2022 | Source: Rodong Sinmun (En) | Read original version at source
The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on May 12 decided as follows in connection with the grave situation such as the inroads of stealth Omicron variant into the country amid the ever-worsening worldwide public health crisis:
The state epidemic prevention work shall be switched over to the maximum emergency epidemic prevention system.
The state emergency epidemic prevention command shall take practical measures to switch over from the state epidemic prevention work to the maximum emergency epidemic prevention system and strictly control and command the overall epidemic prevention work of the country.
The Party, administrative and economic organs, public and state security and armed forces organs and all other organs and sectors shall unconditionally accept the instructions of the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters as the demand of the Party Central Committee and thoroughly implement them, and establish the work system in an orderly way in keeping with switching over to the maximum emergency epidemic prevention system so that the slightest deviations are not be revealed in the overall state work.
Unlike heavily vaccinated South Korea - which has struggled containing their own COVID outbreaks - North Korea has repeatedly refused multiple offers of vaccines against the pandemic virus (see ABC News North Korea remains unvaccinated 2 years into pandemic), leaving their 26 million people extremely vulnerable to the ultra-transmissible Omicron strain.
Combined with reports of high food insecurity (bordering on famine), a poorly funded and antiquated healthcare system, and no small amount of paranoia on the part of their government, and you have the ingredients for a major disaster.
Given their penchant for secrecy, however, we may never know the full extent of COVID's impact in North Korea.
