Posted on 04/07/2021 8:35:44 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
North Korea has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus but we know from foreign diplomats that all is not well in the Hermit Kingdom.
When the pandemic began, North Korea locked down its borders with China and appeared to be successfully battling the disease. But that has changed. While the North Korean government claimed they had battled to virus successfully because of their superior health care system, the truth is that there is very little that passes for modern medical facilities outside of Pyongyang. North Korea is now under the most severe lockdown in the world and their economy — already teetering because of incompetence and U.S.-led sanctions — is close to collapse.
Despite its claims to the contrary, North Korea’s restrictions and economic data suggest that “it is having trouble with containing the virus and it had already confirmed coronavirus cases,” according to Park Won-gon, a professor of international relations at Handong Global University in South Korea.
“It is unreasonable to say that there is no coronavirus case in North Korea,” said Park. “Considering there was a period of about a month during which China had not clearly revealed information about the coronavirus, even though it confirmed cases in Wuhan in late 2019, more than one coronavirus case must have entered into North Korea, but they might not know.” Park added that the North was actively engaging in trade with China during that time, making the spread of COVID-19 across the border likely.
How bad is it really? Kim has been forced to admit to party supporters that the country was in the “worst-ever situation” and that all of his plans to raise the standard of living for the people depend on his supporters — not him.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
How did coronavirus get into a country that was totally closed? OR closed to the point that EVERYONE in contact with foreigners would likely be known and confirmed?
I thought any North Korean diagnosed with Covid was shot dead?
While Covid is 100% deadly there, look on the bright side.
There is no one alive who has it.
So the Exalted Kim has a new gig - writer at Babylon Bee!!
For Kim to openly admit to such troubles, everything must really be hitting the fans right now.
I wonder if the population is being immunized.
As the excerpt explains, COVID-19 probably got into NK before they were even looking for it.
Like Cambodia before the collapse of the Khmer Rouge????
Well, we know very, very few North Koreans are anywhere close to obese. I wonder if severe malnutrition is a comorbidity? Yup. Malnutrition increases proinflammatory mediator levels and inflammatory cytokines. I am not a doctor, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn, but that sounds double ungood for COVID.
Of course we will probably never know what happened in DPRK beyond statements from the few that escape.
Also, if the conditions are as bad as reported in the NK prison camps, then they could have lost tens of thousands of free laborers.
I guess they are less closed than I thought. I assume they do have daily contact with Chinese, so my original question, while valid, was a little naive.
In recent years they had developed a black market over the border with China.
so does gross malnutrition...
weaker immune systems...
i bet most of those people are both vitamin d and zinc deficient, among other vitamins and minerals.
Yeah, I heard that too. My original question wasn’t a great one, but compared to other countries, NK is a closed off nation. But not when they are neighbors with CHINA, right?
For the party elites, of course.
Peasants have no money.
Time for his sister the “Dragon Lady” to step in and take over.
“Like Cambodia before the collapse of the Khmer Rouge????”
I’m not sure the Khmer Rouge ever ‘collapsed’. More like they were driven out of power (by Vietnam).
How would anyone know if NK was in the worst shape ever? Were they ever in less than worst shape?
I heard there is a thriving black market, with goods smuggled from Chyna.
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There are NK owned shops on the Chinese side of the border - relatively prosperous towns at that - that sell anything you would find in any other store in China. As bribery is a way of life in China, no doubt the goods pass easily over the border - no smuggling needed.
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