Kim Jong-un: "Easing COVID-19 Restrictions Could Cause an Unimaginable Deadly Crisis" (Comprehensive)

7th Term 14th Enlarged Meeting of the Party Political Bureau Held
"Do Not Be Complacent Because of Today's Good Quarantine Results"
No Mention of Inter-Korean Relations...Urgent Situation in COVID-19 Response

The North Korean Workers' Party organ, Rodong Sinmun, reported on the 3rd that Chairman Kim Jong Un held the 14th Enlarged Political Bureau Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party the previous day to discuss the national emergency epidemic prevention measures for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a Workers' Party Political Bureau meeting for the first time in about three months and ordered the strengthening of the national emergency epidemic prevention measures to respond to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). There was no mention of inter-Korean relations.

The North Korean state media Korean Central News Agency reported on the 3rd that the 14th Enlarged Political Bureau Meeting of the 7th Central Committee was held on the 2nd at the Party Central Committee headquarters building, presided over by Kim Jong-un.

The meeting discussed the situation of COVID-19 response over the past six months and the reinforcement of national emergency epidemic prevention.

The agency stated, "Kim Jong-un pointed out that amid the ongoing trends of reinfection and resurgence of malignant infectious diseases in neighboring countries and adjacent regions, and with the uncertainty of the risk being resolved, the epidemic prevention frontline must remain fully alert and vigilant without any complacency or laxity, re-examining and strictly implementing epidemic prevention work."

Kim criticized the widespread complacency, neglect, and chronic conditions due to the prolonged emergency epidemic prevention, as well as violations of emergency epidemic prevention discipline, warning that "premature relaxation of epidemic prevention measures would cause an unimaginable and irreparable fatal crisis."

He further emphasized, "All sectors and units must not become complacent or lose tension just because the current epidemic prevention situation is good today," and "emergency epidemic prevention efforts must be further strengthened until the risk of infection is completely eliminated."

North Korea switched to a national emergency epidemic prevention system on January 24th and has been focusing on blocking COVID-19 since the situation in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, where COVID-19 first broke out in earnest, worsened in January.

Kim also held a Party Political Bureau meeting on April 11th to discuss COVID-19 response issues.

The fact that an enlarged Political Bureau meeting was held again to discuss COVID-19 can be interpreted as indicating that the response to COVID-19 is an urgent and critical issue.

At this enlarged Political Bureau meeting, the acceleration of the construction of the Pyongyang General Hospital, which Kim ordered to be completed by the 75th anniversary of the Party's founding in October, and measures to ensure medical services were also discussed.

Kim expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Pyongyang General Hospital construction according to schedule and presented specific tasks related to construction, material supply, and operational preparations.

On the 2nd, North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un held an expanded meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party at the Central Committee headquarters building to discuss important policy issues, the Korean Central News Agency reported on the 3rd.

The report on the results of this meeting made no mention of inter-Korean relations.

North Korea has raised tensions to the highest level between the South and the North by blowing up the Kaesong Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office, citing the distribution of leaflets by defectors' groups. However, Kim has continued a low-key approach toward the South by holding a preliminary meeting of the Party Central Military Commission and abruptly suspending the military action plan of the General Staff Department. It appears that inter-Korean issues will be managed at the current level. A plenary meeting of the Central Military Commission, with no announced schedule, may be held, where specific action directions could be decided.

The agency also reported, "Important issues related to the Party's external affairs and other matters were studied at the meeting," but did not provide specific details.

The meeting was attended by members and alternate members of the Party Central Committee Political Bureau, officials from the Cabinet, provincial and central institutions, provincial Party committee chairpersons, provincial people's committee chairpersons, military command members, members of the Central Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters, and officials from the construction sector.

Although the meeting was held indoors, none of the attendees, including Kim Jong-un, were wearing masks.

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