Posted on 02/10/2020 1:08:04 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
SEOUL - North Korea’s not saying a word about deaths or illnesses from the coronavirus, but the disease reportedly has spread across the border from China and is taking a toll in a country with a dismal health care system and scant resources for fighting off the deadly bug.
One sure sign of the regime’s fears is that it failed to stage a parade in central Pyongyang on Saturday, the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the country’s armed forces. Last year, Kim Jong Un himself presided over the procession that displayed the North’s latest missiles and other fearsome hardware along with goose-stepping soldiers in serried ranks.
This year, nothing about the nation’s nuclear warheads, much less the “new strategic weapon” that Kim has vowed to unveil. Rodong Sinmum, the newspaper of the ruling Workers’ Party, merely cited the armed forces’ supposed success combating “severe and dangerous difficulties”—and said nothing at all about the parade.
But reports have filtered out about Kim’s subjects falling prey to coronavirus despite the country’s decision to seal its 880-mile border with China, most of it along the Yalu River into the Yellow Sea to the west, and its 11-mile border with Russia where the Tumen River flows into the Pacific.
Among the first to report fatalities in North Korea, the Seoul-based website Daily NK said five people had died in the critical northwestern city of Sinuiju, on the Yalu River across road and rail bridges from Dandong, which is the largest Chinese city in the region and a key point for commerce with North Korea despite sanctions.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Really didn’t think of this but it makes sense that many infected Chinese could have crossed into N. Korea. And with poor Bernie Sanders commie healthcare, this could be a big problem.
As tightly woven as NK and China are, I sometimes lose track they aren’t the same.
Ruh Roh! Little Rocket Man could be taken down by the Chi-coms.....
Wouldn’t that be sweet!
Looks like there might be some positive aspects to this virus yet.
(Actual North Korean saying)
This is really interesting, because data from China seems to suggest that it’s pretty well under control, which seems to conflict with the very panicky apologies from China. I haven’t given any creedence to some FR posts from VERY sketchy news sources (ha ha, I don’t mean CNN) about mass incinerations, but if it’s escaped the border, it’s hard to figure that the Chinese have contained it so well.
So now we believe fake news daily beast?
Don’t some Norks escaping go through China to get into SK?
I saw a movie where N Korea solved a problem like this by pulling everybody’s teeth to keep them from becoming zombies.
Everyone wondering if a PLA-weaponized virus has an immediate purpose, immolating your pesky client state to the East is Occams Razor edge.
China is finally in a position to claim all the NK resources for themselves now that they cleared NK of the Russians and Iranians and Pakis a while back.
The Chinese have been winking and nodding at North Korea’s illegal activities (which make it possible for the NK leadership to enjoy the lifestyle of the rich and famous) for many years.
That includes allowing a busy smuggling trade across the border.
The story makes sense, and of course North Korea couldn’t care less if the smugglers die of disease—so the contagion could spreak in North Korea rather quickly.
This may become a _big_ story imho.
Was it a bio weapon? I bet it was a virus.
Hey, who wants to try this socialism/communism thing?
It’s working for these people.
Good news for S. Korea and their award winning movie industry, the border between N and S is very secure.
They make some very good films.
The one about their famous Admiral & his iron clad fleet against Japan in the 1500s-1600s is a favorite of mine.
If North Korea is depopulated, who takes over?
PING
North Korea’s Secret Coronavirus Crisis is Crazy Scary
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