Pyongyang turns to Beijing for Covid help: sources

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Pyongyang turns to Beijing for Covid help: sources

 
In this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a pharmacy in Pyongyang on Sunday to check on the state of supplies and distribution of medicine. Kim berated officials at a Politburo meeting earlier in the day for delays in delivering medical supplies. [YONHAP]

In this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a pharmacy in Pyongyang on Sunday to check on the state of supplies and distribution of medicine. Kim berated officials at a Politburo meeting earlier in the day for delays in delivering medical supplies. [YONHAP]

 
North Korea has requested emergency medical supplies from China as it grapples with its first big wave of Covid-19 cases, according to sources in China.  
 
Sources familiar with North Korea-China relations who spoke to the JoongAng Ilbo on condition of anonymity Sunday said that the North “recently requested that China provide anti-disease assistance” through diplomatic channels.  
 
According to the sources, the items specifically requested by North Korea include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits and medicines to treat Covid-19. Talks on the delivery methods and amount of equipment are currently underway between the two countries, the sources said.
 
When questioned about any requests for Covid-19 assistance from North Korea at a Friday press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said he was confident North Korea would win the fight against Covid-19 under the leadership of its ruling party and government, adding that China would provide assistance and support if the North requests it.  
 
North Korean state media in recent days has praised China’s anti-disease measures, with the state-run Rodong Sinmun writing in a Saturday editorial that the country should study “anti-disease policies, achievements and experiences of other advanced nations,” adding that “it is best to follow and learn from the experiences of the Chinese [Communist] Party and people in their fight against a virulent contagion.”
 
The unconfirmed request for aid from North Korea to China comes as Pyongyang’s health authorities told state media that 392,920 more people reported fevers and other symptoms of suspected Covid-19 between Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m., with eight additional deaths bringing the total death toll to 50 since the outbreak was first detected at the end of last month.
 
The Korean Central News Agency said Monday that the total number of people who had reported fever symptoms had reached 1.21 million, with 648,630 having recovered and 564,860 receiving treatment.
 
Appearing on state-run Korean Central Television (KCTV) on Monday, anti-disease official Ryu Yong-chol said that 83,445 of those newly showing fevers and other symptoms of Covid-19 on Saturday were residents of Pyongyang, making the capital the most affected area out of the North’s 13 administrative regions.
 
The mushrooming of suspected Covid-19 patients contrasts sharply with the number of confirmed cases. North Korean health authorities’ reported that only 168 Covid-19 cases were confirmed nationwide on Saturday. The North describes most suspected Covid-19 cases as “those exhibiting fevers.” It is believed to be short of equipment to test patients.
 
The reports of a full-blown Covid-19 outbreak is a drastic change from the North’s repeated claims since January 2020 that the country had detected zero cases within its borders.
 
Earlier, Pyongyang seemed to have prevented a major Covid-19 outbreak through extreme measures to seal itself off, including shutting its land borders with China, over which the bulk of the country’s trade is conducted.
 
The current outbreak signals a failure by the regime to prevent the virus, and particularly the highly contagious Omicron variant, from seeping in, as well as missteps that have allowed it to spread.
 
External observers believe that mass rallies and parades marking key regime and military anniversaries in April and May could have contributed to the spread, particularly in Pyongyang, where the largest celebrations were held.  
 
In a sign of how seriously the North regards the current outbreak, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over another meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Politburo on Sunday, following a Saturday meeting of the body.
 
At the meeting, Kim sharply criticized Cabinet and health officials for failing to deliver medicines from state stockpiles in a timely manner to the public through pharmacies.
 
Kim singled out the director of the Central Prosecutor's Office for neglecting his duties, blaming the official – who is roughly equivalent to an attorney general – for allowing drug hoarding and illegal sales of medicines.
 
According to KCTV, the Politburo decided to deploy the country’s military to ensure a stable distribution of medicines.
 
Following the Politburo meeting, Kim visited a pharmacy in Pyongyang to conduct an on-the-spot inspection of the current state of supplies and distribution of Covid-19 medicine.
 
KCTV has also adjusted its broadcast schedule in response to the crisis, with the state-run channel announcing that it will start its daily news reports at 9 a.m. every day beginning this week, departing from the usual 3 p.m. broadcast time.
 
Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Monday that it had attempted to deliver a formal offer to open talks with the North about assistance with the Covid-19 crisis, but it received no response.
 
“At 11 a.m. today, we attempted to send a formal note to North Korea signed by Unification Minister Kwon Young-se through the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office, but the North has not yet expressed its intention to receive the notice,” a ministry official said in a closed-door briefing for reporters.
 
The official added that the ministry “included an offer to provide vaccines, medicines, masks and diagnostic tests, as well as to conduct technical cooperation regarding experience with anti-disease measures,” and that it has also “proposed holding working-level contacts between the two Koreas.”
 
A phone call between the two sides that ended at 5 p.m. on Monday also ended without a clear response from the North regarding the South's offer, according to a ministry official. 
 

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
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