What do we know about the covid-19 outbreak in North Korea?
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(CNN) --
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "suffered deeply from a high fever" during the country's COVID-19 outbreak, his sister Kim Yo Jong, also a senior regime official, said Wednesday. , according to the North Korean state media KCNA.
Kim Yo Jong praised his brother's effort in fighting the disease, adding that he "visited the forefront of fighting the disease day and night" during the country's 91-day outbreak.
Is North Korea hiding a bigger problem behind its covid-19 outbreak?
While suffering from a high fever, Kim Jong Un "couldn't lie down for a moment thinking about people," Kim Yo Jong said during a meeting where Kim Jong Un declared his country's victory over covid-19, according to KCNA.
This comes nearly three months since the first reported case in North Korea in May.
“After making a general analysis of the anti-epidemic situation that has been encountered since the activation of the maximum emergency anti-epidemic system, he, on behalf of the Party Central Committee and the DPRK government, solemnly declared victory in the anti-epidemic campaign of maximum emergency to exterminate the new coronavirus that had entered our territory and protect people's lives and health," KCNA reported.
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He also offered warm congratulations and greetings of thanks to the people and service personnel of the People's Army from all over the country who successfully completed the great anti-epidemic campaign," the report added.
CNN cannot verify the claim that North Korea achieved the eradication of covid-19 in Korea.
It is difficult to independently verify these claims due to the lack of press freedom in the country.
Lacking large-scale testing capacity, North Korea has been calling suspected Covid-19 cases "feverish illnesses."
Kim Jong Un's sister accuses South Korea of spreading the virus and calls for "deadly" retaliation
Kim Yo Jong called for a "deadly" retaliation against South Korea on Wednesday, blaming the neighboring country for North Korea's Covid-19 outbreak.
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"The recent national difficulties we suffered were definitely attributable to the hysterical farce started by the enemy to escalate the confrontation with our Republic with the global health crisis as a boost," Kim Yo Jong said, according to KCNA.
South Korea's Unification Ministry responded in a statement Thursday saying it deeply regrets "that North Korea reiterated its baseless claims related to the origin of its coronavirus outbreak."
The statement also lamented the "very disrespectful and threatening comments" made by North Korea.
Kim Yo Jong claimed that South Korea is sending objects, including propaganda leaflets and banknotes, across the North Korean border, reiterating the country's earlier claim that the outbreak began when its border residents touched objects shipped from the South. .
While it is possible for people to become infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, the risk is generally considered low, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ).
Kim Yo Jong said that if South Korea "persists in acts as dangerous as fomenting the invasion of the virus," North Korea will respond by "annihilating the South Korean authorities."
"We have already considered various plans for counterattack, but our countermeasure must be deadly retaliation," Kim Yo Jong said.
Kim Jong Un
