North Korea, No Abnormalities in Coronavirus... Continued Group Activities

[Asia Economy reporters Yang Nak-gyu and Kim Dong-pyo] Despite the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia), North Korea continues group activities.

On the 4th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that student youth across the country have been continuing the "Thousand-Li March for Liberation" exploration march for over ten days since the 22nd of last month.

The "Thousand-Li March for Liberation" is a propaganda route claiming that when Chairman Kim Il-sung was 13 years old studying in Chilgol, South Pyongan Province (now Pyongyang), he heard that his father Kim Hyong-jik was arrested by the Japanese in Manchuria and walked all the way to China. This exploration march also followed this route, starting from Mangyongdae in Pyongyang, passing through Kaechon, Hyangsan, and Kangye, and continuing to Popyeong in Kim Hyong-jik County, Ryanggang Province. Choe Hwi, Vice Chairman of the Workers' Party, also attended the meeting held after the march ended.

Workers of the National Agricultural Workers' Union (cadres) explored revolutionary sites in the Paektu Mountain area from the 26th of last month to the 1st of this month, and commanders of the People's Internal Security Forces took over the baton and began their own exploration.

Reporters and editors of the Rodong Sinmun Publishing House, which publishes the Workers' Party organ Rodong Sinmun, also climbed Paektu Mountain as a group on the 31st of last month and toured the revolutionary sites, according to Korean Central TV. Judging from the photos released by Rodong Sinmun, roughly hundreds of people moved together. It is even difficult to find anyone wearing a mask among the participants.

These activities attract attention as they are carried out while North Korea is waging an all-out quarantine battle, closing its borders and completely banning foreign tourists from entering to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Song In-bum, Director of the Ministry of Public Health, said in an interview with Korean Central TV on the 2nd, "There has been no occurrence of the novel coronavirus infection in our country."

Additionally, North Korean media have been reporting daily that thorough quarantine measures are being taken for foreign business travelers and suspected infected patients, and continuous investigations are being conducted regarding suspected cases.

Accordingly, some analyze that this may be an expression of confidence that continuing group activities is acceptable, or that it shows how much importance is placed on the exploration march as a means of internal unity.

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