North Korea Declares No New COVID Cases – But What’s Really Going On?
On July 30, the PD’s state media boldly announced that it had no new fever cases in the country, the first time since doctors started acknowledging a COVID outbreak in mid‑May. In other words, Korea‑Dongs’ latest headline looks more like a marketing press release than a sober science update.
What the Official Statement Says
- Almost a clean bill of health: 99.99% of the 4.77 million fever sufferers since late April have supposedly “fully recovered.”
- Zero new cases: A neat, tidy figure that punches like a clean August. No mentions of tests or “positive” numbers, just a flat out “no new fever cases.”
- Camera‑ready slow‑motion treat‑me‑team: A rapid mobile treatment unit is still on high alert, ready to “detect and stamp out” any emerging outbreak.
- At the close of Friday, 204 bodies were still on bed rails.
But the Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story
Despite the official calm, there are clues that the story is not as rosy as it looks.
- Death count sits at only 74 fever‑related deaths as of July 5— a number that medical experts say is “almost impossible.”
- Hanyang University’s Dr. Shin Young‑jeon suggests that despair may hide up to 50,000 deaths— a figure that would make the statistician wept.
- Possible reasons for the low counts include limited testing, home‑based deaths of the elderly, and a pinch of political damage control.
When the Pandemic Gets Used as a Cover
North Korea’s “maximum emergency epidemic prevention system” is a pretext for tight social controls. Most likely, the regime will keep lockdowns, restrictions on movement and social gathering— all justified by the whisper of a still‑active epidemic.
COVID, Border Stations and the Old “Alien” Story
- The PD blamed the outbreak on “alien things” coming from the south: a creative way of cautioning people to stay inside.
- South Korean officials warn that it’s still a foggy picture: “when and if wind‑blown rules and border lockdowns will lift remains to be seen.”
A Mirage or a Precalculated Move?
Some analysts suspect that North Korea may be using this “victory” angle to begone trade deals long stalled by the pandemic.
- Trade fell 17.3% to $710 million last year, largely due to the dreaded border closures.
- Freight trains were briefly resurrected earlier this year, only to be halted again in April, tip‑toeing around the fear of contagion.
So, whether the story is a triumphant announcement or a chess move behind the curtain, the world keeps watching — especially the PD’s official media, always a mile ahead in the style of “almost zero.” The real question remains: is the no‑case claim a mantra or a mirror of the hidden reality? Either way, it’s a headline that keeps people guessing.
