What’s so secretive about North Korea?
North Korea is the most secretive country in the world. This is because it is controlled by Kim Jong Un, a dictator who controls the entire country. The world outside has very little visibility into what goes on in this country.
Kim’s family has been ruling over North Korea since 1948 and deciding what North Koreans can or cannot do.
For example, people in North Korea cannot read the books they want, watch the TV channels of their liking or even go to websites of their choice. Anything they can do must be approved by the government.
So…how bad is COVID in North Korea?
North Korea’s population has not been vaccinated against COVID-19. North Korean leaders rejected help from other countries that offered them COVID-19 vaccines for free.
Since late April, North Korea has been dealing with a horrible COVID outbreak. Around two and a half million people have been infected already. The country’s healthcare system is extremely weak and cannot deal with this kind of emergency.
Why is COVID-19 in North Korea different from the rest of the world?
Kim Jong Un’s bad way of running the country has destroyed North Korea’s economy. North Korea also suffers from extreme food shortages. This year, low rainfall has made that even worse.
When things are already so bad, you can imagine how worse COVID can make things.
How is North Korea dealing with this outbreak?
The government of North Korea is dealing with the outbreak in confusing ways. It’s asking sick people to drink herbal tea and take antibiotic tablets. Antibiotic tablets are completely useless against COVID.
Scientists are afraid that the government is not handling the COVID outbreak properly. Due to this, thousands of people may end up dying. Let’s pray that the North Korean people can get through these very challenging times.
