Kim Jong-un's 'War Against COVID-19 and Corruption'... Emphasizing Leadership and Promoting Internal Unity (Comprehensive)

Held Expanded Political Bureau Meeting and Ordered Ultra-Strong COVID-19 Quarantine
"Do Not Allow Any Special Privileges... Emphasize Strict Discipline"
Public Disclosure and Dismissal of Ri Mangan and Park Taedeok's Misconduct... Anti-Corruption War

North Korea held an expanded meeting of the Workers' Party Political Bureau attended by Chairman Kim Jong Un to discuss the issue of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the Workers' Party's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on the 29th.

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un has declared war against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) while simultaneously intensifying efforts to eradicate corruption.

North Korea's state media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported on the 29th that "a plenary meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was held at a critical time when a frontal breakthrough is being carried out to implement the decisions of the 7th Central Committee's 7th plenary meeting, and a period of bold struggle is being opened."

At the expanded Political Bureau meeting, Chairman Kim stated, "If this uncontrollably spreading infectious disease enters our country, the consequences will be severe," and ordered the implementation of 'ultra-high-level' quarantine measures.

North Korea has already been making all-out efforts to block COVID-19, including a full border closure at the end of last month, but given the signs of a global pandemic, it appears to have judged that stronger measures are necessary.

The news agency conveyed, "(At the meeting) principled issues to continuously strengthen the Party's ranks and combat power, practical issues to accurately carry out the immediate political, military, and economic tasks, and ultra-high-level quarantine measures to prevent the rapidly spreading viral infectious disease worldwide and to strictly implement them were discussed in depth."

Chairman Kim Jong-un, who directly presided over the expanded meeting, said, "If this uncontrollably spreading infectious disease enters our country, the consequences will be severe," adding, "Given the very rapid transmission speed, uncertain incubation period, and lack of scientific explanation on the exact transmission routes, the measures strongly implemented by our Party and government from the beginning were the most firm, reliable, preemptive, and decisive defensive measures."

He further emphasized, "The Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, the Cabinet, and related organizations should urgently strengthen our country's quarantine capabilities based on the experience of the preemptive and strong-level quarantine measures currently taken regarding the infectious disease situation, and actively promote work to supplement quarantine means, systems, and laws."

Korean Central News Agency reported on the 28th that a joint military strike exercise was held with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un in attendance.

In particular, he said, "No exceptions should be allowed within the national quarantine system," and stressed, "All sectors and units of the country must unconditionally and absolutely obey the command and control of the central command related to emergency quarantine work, establish strict discipline to thoroughly implement it, and strengthen Party control reporting and legal supervision on this matter."

Chairman Kim also instructed, "Strengthen inspection, testing, and quarantine work along with completely sealing off all possible routes and gaps through which the infectious disease could enter, according to the work system and order already established by the Cabinet and the Central Emergency Quarantine Command."

The meeting discussed measures to scientifically, preemptively, and block the inflow and spread of the infectious disease, KCNA reported.

North Korea has maintained 'zero confirmed cases' for nearly a month since first announcing on April 2 via Korean Central Television that no confirmed cases had occurred in the country.

Following the closure of land, sea, and air borders on March 31, North Korea extended the quarantine period for domestic and foreign entrants via China and other countries from 15 to 30 days on April 12, demonstrating stronger measures than most countries.

However, on the 29th, Chairman Kim was publicly shown presiding over a COVID-19 meeting, indicating an increasingly tightened grip on quarantine efforts.

This move appears to consider the fact that although the spread in China, the origin of COVID-19, has somewhat subsided recently, confirmed cases and deaths continue to rise in South Korea, and signs of a global pandemic are emerging in countries such as Iran and Italy.

Especially given North Korea's poor health infrastructure, it is inevitably sensitive to the international trends of COVID-19 spread. Once the fast-spreading COVID-19 takes hold, it would be virtually impossible for North Korea to contain it. In a situation where economic difficulties are exacerbated by international sanctions, an outbreak of infectious disease could greatly unsettle public sentiment.

It is interpreted as a strategy to soothe public sentiment through active quarantine measures and to strengthen social control as a preventive measure to lead to regime cohesion.

The Korean Central News Agency photographed and reported on the 28th the scene of attendees at the Workers' Party Central Committee Political Bureau expanded meeting attentively listening to remarks by Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea.

At this expanded meeting, Chairman Kim also raised his voice regarding the 'war against corruption' that began two years ago. The Party Committee of a Party cadre training base involved in corruption was dissolved, and related officials were dismissed.

At this expanded Political Bureau meeting, KCNA stated, "Non-Party acts, special favors, privileges, bureaucratism, and corrupt practices that appeared among the Party Central Committee cadres and workers of Party cadre training institutions were sharply criticized, and their seriousness and consequences were harshly analyzed."

Regarding this, KCNA disclosed, "Recently, among some cadres of the Party Central Committee, extremely bureaucratic phenomena and ostentatious behaviors unrelated to the revolutionary work attitude and style consistently emphasized by our Party have appeared, and serious corruption has occurred at the Party cadre training base entrusted with the important task of nurturing the Party's backbone."

As a disciplinary measure related to this issue, Ri Man-gun, a Political Bureau member and Vice Chairman of the Workers' Party and head of the Party Organization Guidance Department, and Pak Tae-dok, head of the Party Agriculture Department, were dismissed from their posts.

Since Kim Jong-un's rise to power, revealing problems and disciplinary actions of high-ranking officials related to corruption at major Workers' Party meetings has not occurred except for the case of Jang Song-thaek, the so-called 'counter-revolutionary' uncle of Kim Jong-un and former Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission, in 2013.

Given the widespread corruption among cadres in North Korean society and the high public resentment toward it, this also appears to be an attempt to soothe public sentiment.

Especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and persistent economic hardship and living difficulties, combating corruption is expected to have a considerable effect in preventing the deterioration of public sentiment, including dissatisfaction with the leadership and ideological relaxation.

It provides the general public with a sense of 'vicarious satisfaction,' directs dissatisfaction with current hardships toward the cadres, and allows Chairman Kim Jong-un's 'leadership' to be praised and internal cohesion to be strengthened.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said, "The expanded Political Bureau meeting focused on eliminating obstacles to the frontal breakthrough while checking and encouraging the implementation of the plenary meeting's decisions. Specifically, it aimed to eradicate the corruption of bureaucrats, which is a toxin to the frontal breakthrough, and to lead regime cohesion through strengthened control of COVID-19."

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