North Korea's COVID-19 Narrative Unraveled: A Dark Reality Revealed

A new report indicates that North Korea's assertion of minimal COVID-19 impact, with only 74 deaths, is grossly inaccurate. The findings reveal widespread suffering and deaths due to government negligence and a lack of medical resources, compounded by the regime's refusal to seek international assistance.

North Korea has made headlines for claiming an extraordinary triumph over the COVID-19 pandemic, declaring that it suffered only 74 fatalities in what it hailed as “a miracle unprecedented in the world’s public health history.” However, a groundbreaking report released recently by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies and the George W. Bush Institute suggests that these claims are not only misleading but represent a gross underreporting of the situation.

Interviews conducted with 100 individuals inside North Korea have unveiled a grim reality, revealing that the government's denial of the virus’s spread led to severe consequences for its citizens. With almost a complete rejection of international aid and an aggressive crackdown on personal movement, the report asserts that the health and economic conditions for everyday North Koreans sharply deteriorated, especially during the critical early months of the pandemic.

The researchers gathered testimonies from citizens through intermediary channels, giving insight into the widespread distress that afflicted the population amidst the pandemic. A particularly harrowing account described nursing homes overwhelmed with fatalities during the winter of 2020, to the extent that there weren't enough coffins to accommodate the deceased.

Contrary to official statements, citizens experienced significant mortality and distress from suspected COVID-19 cases long before North Korea officially acknowledged its first outbreak in May 2022. The report underscores the callous nature of the regime, stating, “The government’s negligence was nothing short of abominable.”

As a result of the regime's oppressive mandates, citizens reported that almost 90 of the interviewees had not been COVID-19 tested and nearly 40 had not been vaccinated. Despite the global availability of antivirals and personal protective equipment, the North Korean populace had access to none of these essential tools. Frightened of repercussions, local health officials misreported COVID-19 deaths and diagnoses, with citizens reluctant to disclose illnesses for fear of punitive actions such as forced detentions, exacerbating already dire food shortages.

The findings of this report further complicate the narrative surrounding North Korea’s pandemic management and reveal an alarming level of suffering and neglect among the populace during one of the most significant global health crises in recent history.