North Korean leader proclaims 'smashing victory' over Covid

Europe 1 with AFP 3:55 p.m., August 11, 2022

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday proclaimed a "smashing victory" over Covid-19, after falling ill himself, according to his sister, who accuses Seoul of being the source of the epidemic in his country. .

Chairing a meeting with health personnel and scientists, Kim Jong Un welcomed this "victory (...) in the war against the malignant pandemic disease", according to the official KCNA news agency.

Pyongyang has reported no new cases since July 29

"The victory won by our people is a historic event that once again showed the world the greatness of our state, the indomitable tenacity of our people and the fine national customs of which we are proud," added the North Korean leader. , quoted by the agency.

North Korea, which was one of the first countries in the world to close its borders in January 2020 after the virus emerged in neighboring China, only announced its first case of coronavirus on May 12, and Kim Jong Un has taken the fight against the epidemic personally in hand.

Since July 29, Pyongyang has reported no new cases.

North Korea has recorded nearly 4.8 million "cases of fever", as it is called the number of infections, since the end of April, with only 74 deaths, an official fatality rate of 0.002. %, according to KCNA.

The management of the epidemic "is an unprecedented miracle in the history of global public health," Kim said to thunderous applause, according to the news agency.

Rejection of the responsibility for a possible resurgence of the Covid on South Korea

The official KCTV broadcast for the first time a fiery speech by the "first sister", Kim Yo Jong.

The North Korean leader "suffered from high fevers during the days of this quarantine war, but he couldn't lie down for a moment as he thought about the people he was responsible for," Kim Yo Jong said.

This is the first time that Pyongyang has announced that Kim Jong Un, whose state of health is under great scrutiny, has been infected with the coronavirus.

When his sister spoke about his brother's health, the camera showed the audience crushing a tear or openly crying.

Kim Yo Jong also accused Seoul of being at the origin of the epidemic in his country, the virus having entered, according to Pyongyang's thesis, through propaganda material sent by balloons from the South.

Despite a ban imposed in 2021, South Korean activists continue to send balloons containing leaflets and dollar bills, sparking protests from Pyongyang.

Denouncing a "crime against humanity", Kim Jong Un's sister and adviser threatened Seoul with "strong reprisals".

South Korea's unification ministry dismissed "baseless allegations" and "rude and threatening comments" from Pyongyang.

Analysts believe that the declaration of victory against the Covid demonstrates a willingness of North Korea to turn to other priorities, "like reviving the economy or carrying out a nuclear test", according to Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

"Kim Yo Jong's bellicose rhetoric is disturbing because not only will it attempt to blame South Korea for a possible resurgence of Covid, but it also seeks to justify North Korea's upcoming military provocation," he said. he added.

Experts, including the WHO, are skeptical of Pyongyang's health statistics and its ostensible control of the outbreak.

The country's hospitals are notoriously under-equipped, with few intensive care units and no coronavirus treatment or vaccine available, experts say.

Neighboring South Korea, which has an efficient health system and a high vaccination rate among its population, has a mortality rate of 0.12% by comparison, according to official figures.