North Korea in ‘great turmoil’, Kim Jong Un cries out during emergency meeting news.sky.com

Image via Dailypostngr

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says a “great turmoil” has befallen his country after 21 daily deaths were reported – possibly from COVID-19.

Mr Kim called for an all-out battle to tackle the spread of the virus during an emergency meeting on Saturday.

State news agency KCNA said 280,810 people were in quarantine and 27 had died since a fever of unidentified origins started to be reported in the country in late April.

On Thursday, Pyongyang announced one death from coronavirus – as Mr Kim ordered a strict national lockdown.

KCNA did not say whether any of the new deaths were because of coronavirus.

“The spread of the malignant epidemic is a great turmoil to fall on our country since the founding,” Mr Kim told an emergency meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, KCNA said.

Teacher takes body heat of schoolgirl before entering Kim Song Ju Primary School in Central District in Pyongyang, DPRK, on Wednesday, October 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Cha Song Ho). Image via Sky News

Since late April, 524,440 people have shown signs of fever, including 174,440 new cases on Friday, KCNA added.

The crisis has been caused by the incompetence and irresponsibility of party organisations, Mr Kim reportedly said, while the country must have faith in its ability to overcome the crisis in the shortest possible period.

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