North Korea: Kim Jong-un targeted his officials for the rapid progression of the coronavirus

Kim Jong-un targeted his government officials on Monday who are in charge of dealing with the coronavirus and establishing measures to prevent contagion. He did so after learning of a new situation report that had already been reported there are already 50 dead in North Korea due to illness.

The controversial leader demanded to improve the distribution of medicines in the face of a flood of cases, which has reached 1,210,000 since the first contagion was confirmed on Thursday and in a context where it is believed that the country does not have the required number of test kits.

Of the 8 new deaths apparently associated with Covid-19, there have already been 50 deaths.

the country, that is did not give a vaccinesaw 392,920 potential cases on Sunday, the state news agency KCNA reported on Monday, so there have been more than 1,210,000 possible infections since the Omicron variant began spreading, apparently, at the end of April.

Of the total number of those infected, more than 648,000 have recovered and less than 565,000 remain under treatment, the KCNA detailed, which also reported a politburo meeting held yesterday in Pyongyang and chaired by Kim Jong-un .

Kim noted that the emergency order uninterrupted release and provision of state drug stocks to pharmacies has not yet been implemented, “severely criticized” the officers in charge of the operation and charged the prosecution for not “conducting legal oversight” of the said process.

For the dictator there was a failed response to the pandemic. He said medical supplies were not distributed to pharmacies on time due to their “irresponsible attitude to work” and lack of organization, according to the KCNA report.

The Politburo issued an emergency order to immediately release and quickly distribute state drug stocks and for pharmacies to remain open on 24-hour shifts, but Kim said these measures is not implemented properly. The president ordered that medical units of his armed forces be involved in the response to stabilize the supply of medicines in Pyongyang, the agency reported revealing the president’s word.

After the meeting, Kim and Politburo members conducted a personal inspection of pharmacies in a district of Pyongyang, where Kim lamented that most of the stores were in poor condition and lacked storage space. In addition, he criticized some pharmacists for not wearing the appropriate white coat.

South Korea offered help.

The situation is worrying because the identified variant of Omicron has been proven to be contagious and because the country, which ordered last week to shut down “every city and county”declined donations of nearly five million vaccines in 2021 and there is no national inoculation plan yet.

Pyongyang has not made any public call for help, including vaccines, although South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing sources close to the matter, that North Korea would have asked for support from China through diplomatic channels.

In South Korea, where the government will propose talks with the regime this week to address the sending of humanitarian aid, the new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, insisted on Monday that Seoul is ready to provide all kinds of support.

“If the North Korean authorities accept, we will not defend the assistance neededsuch as medicines, including vaccines against Covid, medical equipment and health personnel, ”Yoon said in his first parliamentary appearance as head of government.

It is not known whether the regime, which has conducted a record number of missile tests this year and is preparing a new nuclear test, will receive aid from the South during The inter-Korean dialogue is almost non-existent.

Sending humanitarian aid promises to be one of the topics Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss when they meet in Seoul this coming Saturday.

With information from EFE and AP

DB