A few North Korean lecturers in a Pyongyang Coronavirus forum have finally confirmed the positive cases of Coronavirus in the country. Despite the major denial of the North Korean government, anonymous sources had confirmed that the virus has already transmitted to three regions in North Korea: Pyongyang, South Hwanghae province, and North Hamgyong province. However, citizens of the country are still skeptical about whether these three regions were the only infected areas.
North Korea has Coronavirus, lecturers reveal in a forum
As first reported via Reuters, North Korean authorities were allegedly distributing information within their residents in the past weeks. Few lecturers had announced that residents must protect themselves from getting the virus after they confirmed that the disease has now infected citizens in areas like Pyongyang, South Hwanghae province, and North Hamgyong province.
Radio Free Asia, Asian free press media, reportedly had talked to two anonymous sources in the country saying authorities finally confirm the cases. However, the official numbers of infected were not said.
"[Officials] held a lecture session for all the residents titled 'Let's all work together on the coronavirus quarantine project to [successfully] implement the Supreme Leader's policies," the resident told RFA on Thursday, Apr. 22. "The speaker at the lecture publicly stated that there were confirmed coronavirus patients among [the people]."
Though they confirmed the cases, the authorities also said that North Korean citizens should not panic due to these incidents. They were notified that North Korea has the 'fewest confirmed Coronavirus cases' in the world. Even emphasizing that the country has "the most superior socialist healthcare system."
Due to this, residents were advised not to panic at all.
N. Korean residents don't believe in 'few cases'
As of now, the North Korean government has not yet confirmed the alleged cases in the country.
Earlier this month, the director of the anti-epidemic department of North Korea's Central Emergency Anti-epidemic Headquarters, Pak Myong Su, told Agence-France-Press (AFP) that "Not one single person [in North Korea] has been infected with the novel coronavirus in our country so far."
However, now that there's been a leaked report saying these are all false. Citizens in the country reportedly remain skeptical whether the three said areas were the only infected places in the country.
"North Hamgyong and South Hwanghae are located at the top and bottom of the map of our country, and Pyongyang is in the middle. Can you believe that there are confirmed cases in only these three areas?" said the sources. "If the virus spread from the northern end of the country [near the border with China] to the southern end, it means it has to have spread across the entire country."
