30th June, 2021
Agency Reports
COVID-19 may be on the rage in the secretive North Korea, judging by the mass sack of officials for laxity in combatting the virus.
According to reports, the leader Kim Jong Un chastised top ruling party officials for failures in anti-epidemic work.
He said their inaction had led to an unspecified “great crisis” and put the safety of the country and people at risk.
The report by state news agency KCNA did not elaborate on what happened, or how it put people at risk.
North Korea has not officially confirmed any COVID-19 cases, a claim questioned by South Korean and U.S. officials.
But the reclusive country has imposed strict anti-virus measures, including border closures and domestic travel curbs.
Kim called a meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea politburo to address some party executives’ neglect of duty, including failing to implement important long-term measures to fight the pandemic, KCNA said.
“He mentioned that senior officials in charge of important state affairs neglected the implementation of the important decisions of the Party … and thus caused a crucial case of creating a great crisis in ensuring the security of the state and safety of the people and entailed grave consequences,” the report said.
Many politburo members, secretaries of the central committee, and officials of several state agencies were replaced at the meeting.
KCNA did not specify if the shakeups were related to the neglect of pandemic-related duty.
Last year, North Korea said it had declared a state of emergency and locked down the border city of Kaesong.
This was after a person who defected to South Korea three years ago returned across the fortified border with what state media said were symptoms of COVID-19.
The World Health Organization later said North Korea’s coronavirus test results for the man were inconclusive.