North Korea: "Absolutely No Entry of Wuhan Pneumonia into Our Country" Emergency Measures

North Korea Busy Preparing Measures for Health Sector
Ministry of Public Health Staff Dispatched to Various Regions
Monitoring and Quarantine Measures for Overseas Travelers
Interest in Outbreak Situations from South Korea, China, and Other Countries

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un watched a holiday commemorative performance at the Samjiyon Theater on the Lunar New Year's Day, the 25th, together with his wife Ri Sol Ju, Chosun Central TV reported on the 26th. Choe Ryong Hae, First Vice Chairman of the State Affairs Commission; Kim Kyong Hui, former Workers' Party secretary, sister of Kim Jong Il and wife of the executed Jang Song Thaek; Ri Il Hwan, Vice Chairman of the Workers' Party; Jo Yong Won and Kim Yo Jong, First Deputy Directors of the Party; and Hyun Song Wol, Deputy Director, also attended the performance. Chairman Kim waved his hand to the audience while Ri Sol Ju clapped beside him.

North Korea has established emergency measures to prevent the influx of the novel coronavirus infection known as 'Wuhan pneumonia.' North Korean media have been publishing articles related to Wuhan pneumonia daily, emphasizing preventive guidelines to residents.

The Workers' Party organ, Rodong Sinmun, reported in an article titled "Emergency Measures to Prevent the Novel Coronavirus Infection" that "the health sector is taking urgent actions to thoroughly establish preventive measures against the novel coronavirus infection, which has recently caused great anxiety and concern in the international community."

The newspaper stated that health ministry workers have been dispatched to various regions and that "work is underway to urgently prepare and distribute hygiene propaganda materials to treatment and prevention institutions."

It also reported that "workers in the hygiene and quarantine sector are intensifying measures to thoroughly organize hygiene quarantine operations at borders, ports, and airports to prevent this disease from entering our country," and that medical surveillance of foreign travelers and isolation measures in preparation for suspected cases are being implemented.

Furthermore, household doctors in various regions are visiting residents with fever or pneumonia that is not responding well to treatment to confirm cases, and "when suspected patients are found, efforts are being made in advance to thoroughly isolate them in coordination with quarantine institutions," the article said.

The newspaper added that "drug production units are engaged in a campaign to produce a large quantity of antiviral medicines, including the locally made Uwoonghang virus medicine made from commonly available medicinal herbs," and that "corresponding units are organizing efforts to supply the necessary medicines accordingly."

Given the newspaper's statement that "thorough quarantine measures are being established to absolutely prevent the novel coronavirus infection from entering our country through the devoted efforts of health sector workers," it appears that there are no confirmed cases of Wuhan pneumonia within North Korea yet.

Although the newspaper has been publishing articles related to Wuhan pneumonia daily, the January 28 edition featured three articles on the subject.

In an article titled "Continued Spread of the Novel Coronavirus," the newspaper detailed the number of confirmed cases, deaths, and suspected cases announced by China's National Health Commission, noting that "there is a growing call in the international community to declare a global public health emergency."

Along with reports of suspected cases in Canada and Russia, it reported on additional outbreaks in South Korea, stating, "A new case of novel coronavirus infection has occurred again in Namjos?n (South Korea)."

In another article titled "President Xi Jinping Emphasizes Making Epidemic Prevention the Most Important Task," it was reported that on the 25th, President Xi stated at the Standing Committee of the Communist Party Central Political Bureau that "in the face of the severe situation where infectious pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus is rapidly spreading, it is essential to strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.