Kim Jong Un says error in COVID protocols caused a ‘serious incident’: NPR

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks Tuesday during a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party Politburo in Pyongyang.

Central Korean News Agency / Korean News Service through AP

hides the title

footprint

Central Korean News Agency / Korean News Service through AP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks Tuesday during a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party Politburo in Pyongyang.

Central Korean News Agency / Korean News Service through AP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly attacked senior officials, saying their failure to implement the policies required to fight the pandemic properly had caused a “serious incident”.

But he did not say exactly what the incident was, nor did he oppose the country’s official line, which is that there has not been a single COVID-19 infection so far. Given the rudimentary state of North Korea’s health care system and its history of fighting pandemics, experts doubt this claim.

Kim formally rebuked “incompetence and irresponsibility”, which he said had led to unspecified “grave consequences”, in a meeting of the Politburo of the Workers’ Party. That group includes about 20 senior officials of the ruling party, plus 10 other alternate members.

Recently last week, North Korea reported to the World Health Organization that there was not a single case of COVID-19, although it admits it has tested only about 30,000 people in a country with more than 25 million inhabitants.

State media said Senior officials failed to take “various measures as required by the protracted campaign to prevent the state emergency epidemic.” Some observers realized that policies that were not implemented to Kim’s satisfaction may have been sought by, but not directly related to, efforts to combat the pandemic.

The meeting at which Kim also spoke saw a reshuffle of staff within senior parties and government institutions. This move prompted him speculation that some senior officials were punished for the “serious incident”, although state media did not name specific officials by name.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the North Korean University of Studies in Seoul, noted that the last time North Korea admitted a suspected explosion of COVID-19 was last July, when a person who were defective in South Korea entered the North and entered the city of Kaesong. The whole town was quarantined for almost three weeks, but no infection was ever confirmed.

“If this ‘big crisis’ was a COVID infection or a suspected infection,” Yang said, “North Korea would have completely blocked the region, but we are not seeing any such sign.” makes him think the infection scenario is unlikely.

Yang also noted that Kim has publicly acknowledged that his country is facing another crisis: a lack of food. While food shortages are a chronic condition in the North, in part due to economic mismanagement, the situation has been exacerbated by pandemic closures and poor harvests as a result typhoons last year.

“Kim Jong Un may have ordered, for example, the military to release their rice stocks to handle the current emergency,” Yang said. “A delay in the execution of such an order could lead to increased complaints from the people, which would seem to be a serious problem in the eyes of the supreme leader.”

The closure of the border and the departure of many foreign diplomatic troops from Pyongyang has left the North even more isolated than usual.

“Without a lot of eyes and ears on the ground, it is increasingly difficult to assess the situation,” he said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. “And without their trusted hands, it will be harder to help people in need.”

That NPR Eun Gong in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos