North Korean Sanitation Inspection Chief: "No COVID-19 Infections... Thorough Preventive Measures"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Park Myung-su, Director of the National Hygiene Inspection Institute of the Ministry of Public Health in North Korea, stated that there are no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in North Korea.

Director Park made this statement in an interview with Japan's Kyodo News on the 19th. He explained that North Korea is taking thorough preventive measures against COVID-19 concerns, such as minimizing large-scale gatherings. Although North Korea observed significant events such as the Army Foundation Day on the 8th, Kim Jong-un's birthday on the 16th, and the Central Reporting Conference on the 15th, no large-scale events were held.

Kyodo News reported that the head of the quarantine division of North Korea's Central Emergency Anti-epidemic Headquarters stated the previous day that, along with strengthened border quarantine, nationwide screenings for symptoms such as fever are being conducted, and systems for early detection and treatment of infected individuals are in place. The outlet also conveyed through a Pyongyang dispatch that a significant number of North Korean residents visiting the Kim Il-sung statue and other sites were wearing masks.