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No coronavirus Cases in North Korea (DPRK)

North Korea claiming “totally free” of Coronavirus in the country. Once it would look screwy at the same time a bit suspicious. The claim that North Korea has no cases of Coronavirus, follows contentious responses from the State-run news agency.

The NK Central Emergency Anti-epidemic headquarters’ director told AFP, “Not one single person has been infected with the novel coronavirus in our country so far.”, as reported by The South China Morning Post.

“We have carried out pre-emptive and scientific measures such as inspections and quarantine for all personnel entering our country and thoroughly disinfecting all goods, as well as closing borders and blocking sea and air lanes.”

On the contrary, Health expert says, that North Korea ( Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)) still suffering from the malnourished state, may face more lethal condition fo coronavirus outbreak than China.

Since the deadly Coronavirus outbreak found in Wuhan, China, the world has witnessed a global panic. Every country and territory from America, Africa to Asia have reported COVID confirmed cases, but not North Korea.

Yes, not North Korea.

The public statements of North Korea suggest it, one among the poorest countries. But it managed to avoid the COVID19 effect even after neighboring mainland China. With the extent of deadly coronavirus transmission, new cases are coming up every day in South Korea and Russia- sharing a border with North Korea.

Every country sharing a border with North Korea has reported the cases of coronavirus transmission. So it quite questionable, how North Korea makes it possible to avoid the coronavirus transmission in the country?

North Korea has built the best controlling mechanism

Yet, it’s not quite clear. Either Pyongyang is found to be lucky or covering cases under black sheets. The country has not yet publically acknowledged the COVID19 – coronavirus affected cases. It may be possible, someone has been infected in a country of 250 thousand people.

The statement by DPRK state media may be backed by certitude official instructions and state control. With the humongous panic causing more than a million confirmed cases of Coronavirus and thousands of deaths. SO, when it comes to cumulative effort, the claim of no COVID-19 cases in North Korea goes pretentious.

In a joint interview with CNN and VOA, the Head of the US military forces in South Korea, US General Robert Abrams, did not back the NK’s claim. “I can tell you that is an impossible claim based on all of the intel that we have seen,”

China contributed 90% of the total trade of North Korea. So many trucks, trains, and people passed through North Korea and China border, before regulating the borders by NK.

According to KCN-the state-run news service, reported a transparent and potential effort to avoid Coronavirus in North Korea by taking epidemic very seriously.

North Korea has tightened its border as a precautionary measure. It also took a similar step in 2014, Ebola Outbreak. KCNA also reported that people entered after January 13, were intense “medical supervision.”

There is a “nationwide test sample transport system “, set up by health officials-reported by KCNA. A CNN report suggests, several experts were doubtful about the testing ability of Pyongyang.

So, How North Korea Claims itself a virus-free country?

It might be late after the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, But In late January, North Korea sealed off its international border with China.

The preventive measures taken by North Korea, for avoiding coronavirus transmission in the country, has made it complicated for the foreign nationals to leave their homes.

The country quarantined a large number of people in Pyongyang.

The NK News reported near about 10,000 citizens were under isolation and around 500 people are still in quarantine.

North Korea claims accolades for its effective and proactive steps of escaping from a global pandemic.

Fyodor Tertitskiy, a senior researcher at South Korea’s Kookmin University, told BBC, North Korea is continuing an “ongoing propaganda campaign teaching people how to prevent the spread of the virus“.

He further added, “What they did was to train a large number of doctors who, although less qualified and infinitely paid less than their colleagues in the West, can still provide basic healthcare to the population,”.

North Korea misleads the world about actual COVID-19 cases and deaths

In an interview with Aljazeera, the permanent observer for IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross) to the UN, showed less confirmation about enough supplies to avoid an epidemic.

In North Korea, the world’s most secretive and reclusive state, it is hard to get integrated information, as everything under Kim Jong Un- supreme leader. The country has never acknowledged any information about the people died in the 1990′ famine.

Experts estimated the death of about 2 million people might be reported due to the famine. There was a horrendous experience of death and survival, stated by the people fled the country.

Why is DPKR not showing COVID or Coronavirus cases?

Though it would be unfortunate to cease a hypothetical number, North Korea knits the probability of any COVID cases as a ” global incompetency “

The state has pocketed a series of responses and preserved propaganda about how well North Korea is doing amid Coronavirus Pandemic.

From a BBC report, Mr. Hotham added

“I think for them to admit now that there were cases is essential to admit defeat. I think it would also cause panic and people would freak out. If you have large movements of people trying to get away, that could create instability and even more infections.”

The unperturbed secrecy of North Korea indicates that there will be no information about the coronavirus cases as well as measures, that might work. North Korea has built the best controlling mechanism.

A former physician, Choi Jung-hun, stated the situation of inefficient and lack of resources in the measles outbreak during 2006-07. That time it did not have potential resources to operate isolation facilities.

In North Korea, problems could be heavily blamed, as people used to escape for food if hospitals could not provide enough food.

A fact may be emboldened from the statement published in CNN, the coronavirus outbreak has given Pyongyang a new opportunity to justify their draconian restrictions and an excuse to tighten their borders. A large percentage of North Korean people do not experience freedom and need to have permission to travel to other countries.