Kim Jong Un declares victory against COVID in North Korea

North Korea is lifting its maximum anti-epidemic measures, state news agency KCNA reported on Thursday, announcing that the country’s dictator Kim Jong Un had declared victory over the virus.

The isolated country had imposed the anti-pandemic measures in May to curb the spread of what it describes simply as “fever” due to a lack of tests.

The country has reported only 74 fatalities, which the Kim Jong Un hailed as “an unprecedented miracle,” according to KCNA. International health experts have questioned the numbers provided by North Korean officials.

The state agency also cited the dictator’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, as saying that the outbreak had started due to leaflets entering the country from South Korea. The propaganda leaflets, which criticize the Kim family ruling the impoverished state, are a sore spot in relations with Seoul.

On Thursday, Kim Yo Jong said South Korea was still committing alleged crimes against humanity by sending the leaflets and that strong retaliation must be taken.

She also said her brother Kim Jong Un had suffered from “high fever.”

dj/wd (Reuters, AFP)

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