North Korea says its COVID outbreak is now under control. But is it?

Students of the Pyongyang Jang Chol Gu University of Commerce in North Korea undergo temperature checks before entering the campus. The country said there were no cases — until May 12. (Kim Won Jin /AFP via Getty Images)

SEOUL — Before May 12, many experts doubted North Korea's claims not to have a single case of COVID-19.

But the country changed its story on that day, admitting its first outbreak although not specifying the number of cases. The following day it reported that 350,000 people had developed fever symptoms with 18,000 cases on May 12 alone.