{"id":4662,"date":"2020-08-01T16:13:56","date_gmt":"2020-08-01T07:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4662"},"modified":"2022-05-16T18:01:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T09:01:09","slug":"covid-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2020\/08\/recommendations\/covid-local\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e COVID Confession: Local Authorities Notify Public of Rising Coronavirus Cases in 3 Regions, Including Pyongsong and Sariwon"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Photo) The Chinese border is being strictly monitored to guard against the spread of the coronavirus. This photo shows a young man and woman talking by the Yalu River. Photographed in September 2019 from the Chinese side of the river, across from Sakju County, North Pyongan Province, by ISHIMARU Jiro<\/p><\/div>\n

North Korean authorities are reportedly informing residents for the first time of coronavirus outbreaks. Reporting partners in two different areas of North Korea\u2019s northern region reported that residents were informed of the cases at inminban (local political unit) meetings on July 28. (ISHIMARU Jiro\/Kang Ji-won)<\/p>\n

A reporting partner living in North Pyongan Province and a reporting partner living in North Hamkyung Province delivered the information to ASIAPRESS, with both reporting partners detailing explanations heard from authorities at inminban meetings held on July 28. The announcements were said to both contain the following information:<\/p>\n

\u30fbThere have been cases of infection in Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, in Sariwon, North Hwanghae Province, and in some areas of Hwanghae Province.<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u30fbFrom now on, contact with people from outside of the region is prohibited. If anyone has entered the area from other regions without permission, they must be immediately reported to the authorities.<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u30fbAreas that border China are to be put on high-alert and all efforts will be made to prevent the coronavirus from spreading from China. Those caught smuggling or attempting to cross the border will be severely punished.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The reporting partner from North Pyongan Province said, \u201cThinking about it now, there have been many signs of the authorities taking countermeasures against coronavirus outbreaks. Restrictions on movement were eased in June but they were tightened again in early July. Freight traffic has also been restricted and traders cannot send their goods by train.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6 Sariwon\u2019s \u2018Isolation Inns\u2019<\/h2>\n

The reporting partner from North Hamkyung Province immediately called an acquaintance living in Sariwon to ask about the local situation. The acquaintance was said to give the following explanation:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Sariwon, anyone suspected of being infected with coronavirus is banned from going outside until a diagnosis is made. Families are said to be put up in \u2018isolation inns\u2019 designated by the authorities. Food for those in quarantine is supposed to be provided by the People\u2019s Committee (local government), rather than by the individuals in quarantine.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

ASIAPRESS reported in mid-July that soldiers were being quarantined after a coronavirus outbreak that occurred in June in a military base in Sariwon. A document that was internally disseminated by the government in mid-June also suggested the occurrence of an outbreak.
\nNextPage: Residents left with unstable livelihoods\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6 Residents left with unstable livelihoods<\/h2>\n

The reporting partner from North Pyongan Province explained the domestic situation on July 29, saying, \u201cIn this atmosphere, the authorities are cracking down on all movements. Those caught traveling without permission are arrested and sent to labor camps. The markets are already facing a terrible recession...what will happen now that there are restrictions on the movement of cargo and people?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the reporting partner from North Hamkyung Province said of the local atmosphere, \u201cMaybe because they are concerned about anxiety spreading among residents, the authorities are not giving details about the numbers of deaths or infections. They are only promoting strengthened quarantine measures. Residents are hoping that if they eat a lot of red pepper paste, kimchi, and garlic, they will not get infected by the coronavirus. People are quite resigned though and say, \u2018Those who will die will die and those who will live will live.\u2019 It remains to be seen whether the authorities\u2019 measures will work.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6 Authorities might declare that a North Korean defector was the source of the coronavirus<\/h2>\n

North Korean officials announced on July 27 that they had placed the city of Kaesong under lockdown after a North Korean defector had secretly returned from South Korea on July 19 with \u201csymptoms of coronavirus.\u201d On July 25, Kim Jong-un attended an urgently-held meeting of the Workers\u2019 Party and declared the situation to be an emergency.<\/p>\n

Given that the general public has now been notified of coronavirus outbreaks, it is expected that an official announcement will be released in the near future. The official announcement may suggest that the defector\u2019s illegal crossing from the South was the source of the infection. However, the outbreak locations, as shared with residents at inminban meetings, point to a different reality.<\/p>\n

In addition, the US-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Reuters reported on an announcement made by the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on July 29. According to these reports, the North Korean authorities have demanded that foreign residents not leave Pyongyang, wear masks at all times, and refrain from holding large meetings.<\/p>\n

\u203b ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.<\/p>\n

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Map of North Korea (produced by ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

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