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Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
World

Kim Jong Un: N Korea facing upheaval due to Covid-19

This picture taken and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un taking part in Workers' Party of Korea council to check the operational status of the maximum emergency measurement to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Pyongyang. (Photo: AFP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has described the spread of the novel coronavirus as the greatest turmoil facing the country since it was founded, state-run media reported Saturday.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said an additional 21 people had died and around 174,400 had symptoms of fever on Friday, possibly because of the virus.

North Korea on Friday confirmed its first Covid-19 death since the pandemic began. Around 187,800 people are being quarantined and treated after the rapid spread of the fever since late April, according to KCNA.

The country, which has been facing international economic sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, is believed to be vulnerable to infectious diseases due to shortages of food and medical supplies.

People wearing protective face masks walk amid concerns over Covid-19 in front of Pyongyang Station in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 27, 2020, in this photo released by Kyodo. (Photo: Reuters)
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