North Korea COVID-19

As North Korea returns to some level of normality in 2022, the country could find greater economic support from Russia.

North Korea was one of the first countries to completely seal off its borders to foreign countries in January of 2020. After rejecting any vaccination support from outside of its borders, the North Korean government sealed its borders entirely and locked down the country in an effort to stop the spread of the virus entirely. The move was welcomed by Russia and widely seen as a step towards increased economic cooperation between the two countries. Chinese customs data released in January 2021 revealed how two-way trade between the two countries dropped by 80.7% over the space of 12 months, with North Korea’s exports to China dropping by 77.7%. The figure is not generally accepted as accurate outside of North Korea, and the nation’s struggling health system means it is unlikely government officials were able to obtain accurate COVID patient statistics in the first place. It follows a turbulent few years for the isolationist communist country, which has seen food shortages, worsened economic instability, and heightened tensions with neighboring South Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared victory over COVID-19 and his sister indicated that he too caught the virus, while vowing "deadly retaliation" ...

And right now the numbers are telling them that the epidemic is over," said Martyn Williams, a researcher with the U.S.-based 38 North Project. North Korea's declaration on COVID comes despite no known vaccine programme. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com "Even though he was seriously ill with a high fever, he could not lie down for a moment thinking about the people he had to take care of until the end in the face of the anti-epidemic war," she said in remarks broadcast on North Korean state television.

The North's official news agency also reported that Kim's sister blamed the COVID outbreak on leaflets flown from across the border from South Korea, ...

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North Korean leader's sister accuses South Korea of sending virus, warns of 'deadly' retaliation - Anadolu Agency.

"If the enemy persists in such dangerous deeds as fomenting the inroads of virus into our Republic, we will respond to it by not only exterminating the virus but also wiping out South Korean authorities," she said, also accusing Seoul of sending leaflets and objects into their territory. She again claimed South Korea had sent the virus to the North and warned of retaliation. Speaking at the event, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader, said her brother had also caught the virus during the pandemic.