

First of all, with drastic and early intervention strategies it conducted massive tracing and testing in a combination of case isolation.

However, South Korea was held as a model for many other countries as it appeared to slow the spread of the outbreak with distinctive approaches and interventions. In the early stage of the pandemic, South Korea was one of the most-affected countries because of a large outbreak related to meetings of a religious movement, namely the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, in a city called Daegu and North Gyeongsang province. Since the first case was confirmed on 20 January 2020, South Korea has been actively experiencing the COVID-19 outbreak.

There are also views that leader Kim Jong Un has domestic political motivations to tighten the country's self-imposed lockdown as he calls for unity and tries to solidify his grip on power while navigating perhaps his toughest moment after nearly a decade of rule.This case study focuses on the epidemiological situation of the COVID-19 outbreak, its impacts and the measures South Korea undertook during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those tested in the last week reported included 94 people with influenza-like illnesses or other symptoms and 573 health care workers, according to the WHO report.Įxperts say an epidemic in North Korea could be devastating, considering its poor health care system and chronic lack of medical supplies.īut despite implementing severe border controls, North Korea hasn't shown the same kind of urgency for vaccines even as its mass immunization campaign continues to be delayed amid global shortages.Īnalysts say North Korea could be uneasy about international monitoring requirements that would be attached to the vaccines it receives from the outside world. The North has told WHO it has tested 40,700 people for the coronavirus through Sept. While North Korea has yet to report a single case of COVID-19, outside experts widely doubt it escaped the illness that had touched nearly every other place in the world. human rights investigators in August asked the North's government to clarify allegations that it ordered troops to shoot on sight any trespassers who cross its borders in violation of its pandemic closing. agencies are currently still under quarantine at the seaport."Īsia Kim Jong Un Says A Lapse In COVID Protocols Caused A 'Grave Incident'ĭescribing its anti-virus campaign was a matter of "national existence," North Korea had severely restricted cross-border traffic and trade for the past two years despite the strain on its already crippled economy. "We are informed that WHO items along with supplies sent by other U.N. (including) emergency health kits, medicines and medical supplies that would support essential health services at primary health care centers," Salvador said. "Consequently, we have been able to transport some of our items by ship to Nampo. agencies to send supplies that had been stuck in Dalian. WHO said in a weekly monitoring report that it has started the shipment of essential COVID-19 medical supplies through the Chinese port of Dalian for "strategic stockpiling and further dispatch" to North Korea.Įdwin Salvador, WHO's representative to North Korea, said in an email to the Associated Press Thursday that some items, including emergency health kits and medicine, have reached the North Korean port of Nampo after North Korean authorities allowed the WHO and other U.N. SEOUL, South Korea - The World Health Organization has started shipping COVID-19 medical supplies into North Korea, a possible sign that the North is easing one of the world's strictest pandemic border closures to receive outside help. 1 disinfect the store to help curb the spread of the coronavirus before it opens in Pyongyang, North Korea. 28, 2020, file photo, staff of the Pyongyang Department Store No.
