North Korea has given additional instructions to kill intruders as it battles COVID-19. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the burial of a prominent official this week, attempting to downplay the threat of COVID-19 in his nation.
A maskless Kim Jong Un was photographed carrying the coffin of Hyon Chol-hae, a Korean People's Army marshal who purportedly mentored Kim Jong Un before he became Supreme Leader. Kim stated earlier last month that his country was in chaos because of a COVID-19 pandemic in which no one was inoculated.
Maskless Kim Jong Un Gathers Crowd For State Funeral
According to state media, 2.8 million individuals have become unwell owing to an unknown fever, yet just 68 have died since late April, an incredibly low mortality rate if the ailment is COVID-19, as expected.
The health crisis has resulted in severe lockdowns in North Korea, and some suggest that Kim Jong Un is utilizing the pandemic to strengthen his regime. Previously, the virus caused border conflict. A South Korean fisheries officer fell off his boat on North Korean seas in 2020.
Border agents allegedly shot him dead and then set fire to his body, fearing he was carrying the virus, according to Express. North Korea has limited testing capacity for so many sick individuals, but some analysts believe it is also underreporting deaths to protect Kim Jong Un from political repercussions.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Jong Un attended the burial on Sunday of Hyon Chol-hae, a Korean People's Army marshal who played a crucial role in grooming him as the country's next leader before Kim's father, Kim Jong-il, died in late 2011.
A barefaced Kim Jong-un carried Hyon's coffin with other senior officials wearing masks before throwing soil to his grave with his hands at the national cemetery in one of the country's largest state funerals since his father's death. According to a state television video, Kim and hundreds of masked troops and officials bent low at Hyon's tomb.
Thousands of other masked troops in olive-green uniforms had previously gathered in a Pyongyang square, taking off their hats and offering quiet respect before a funeral vehicle carrying Hyon's coffin left for the cemetery, according to state television. A large number of troops and residents gathered along the streets to offer their sorrow.
Kim Jong Un frequently organizes large funerals for late top officials loyal to his ruling family, displaying a human side in a suspected move to gain the country's governing elite's support and build internal unity.
Except for Kim Jong Un and the honor guards, most individuals donned masks for the burial on Sunday. The current pandemic of the North was most likely triggered by the April 25 military parade and subsequent festivities, which brought huge groups of individuals who did not wear masks.
To combat the viral outbreak, North Korea enforces a national lockdown and other strict regulations. Movement from area to the region is prohibited, but critical agricultural, commercial, and other industrial activity continued in an apparent effort to minimize harm to the country's already ailing economy, South China Morning Post reported.
North Korea Fires Missiles After Joe Biden's Departure From Asia
Meanwhile, North Korea launched three ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan early Wednesday, just hours after President Joe Biden left Asia after a five-day visit to South Korea and Japan. The launches were verified by the US Indo-Pacific Command, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Japan's Defense Minister. The White House said Biden was kept up to date on the launches when he returned to Washington on Tuesday night.
Government sources warned Biden throughout his first trip to Asia as US president that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may conduct missile or nuclear tests. Biden was asked several questions about dealing with Kim Jong Un while in South Korea.
When asked whether he had a message for North Korea's leadership, he offered reporters a pretty direct answer. During his Saturday news appearance alongside South Korea's new leader, President Yoon Suk Yeol, the president was also asked about Kim Jong Un.
Biden was asked if the US would consider delivering COVID-19 vaccinations to North Korea, which is suffering an increase in coronavirus infections. "Yes, we've offered vaccinations not only to North Korea but also to China, and we're ready to do it right away," Biden added, as per Daily Mail.
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