North Korea
Corona crisis: Kim Jong-Un accuses his own officials of being lazy
Sees joint responsibility for the rampant spread of the corona virus among officials and party officials: North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong-Un during a meeting of the Politburo Presidium.
© KNCA / DPA
North Korea’s ruler Kim has long claimed that his country is not affected by the corona pandemic. Now it can no longer be disguised that the virus has spread throughout the country. Kim blames his officers.
What shouldn’t have happened can no longer be denied: the corona pandemic has also fully affected North Korea. More than 1.7 million of the 25 million people are acutely affected by an infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies the situation as critical. In view of the situation, ruler Kim Jong-Un needs a scapegoat and has found him in the officials of the state apparatus.
At a meeting of the ruling party’s Politburo on Tuesday, Kim sharply criticized state officials, according to state news agency KCNA. The “non-positive attitude, carelessness and inaction of leading state officials” contribute to the fact that the state cannot cope with the crisis.
Kim Jong-Un: “Wake up the party like a volcano”
The internationally isolated country had reported corona cases for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic last week. Kim then ordered nationwide lockdowns and ordered the military to support the ailing healthcare system. According to the KCNA, almost 3,000 military medics are deployed to ensure the supply of medicines.
KCNA put the number of deaths related to the coronavirus at 62. Kim announced that he would “awaken the entire party like an active volcano” to combat the spread of the virus, according to the state agency. According to state media, his family donated medicines that were distributed in southern Hwanghae Province. Kim wanted to underline his personal commitment to fighting the outbreak.
WHO: North Korean population not armed
The WHO is “deeply concerned about the risk of further spread of Covid-19 in the country,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He noted that “the population is unvaccinated and has many underlying conditions that put them at risk of serious illness and death.”