Possibility of COVID-19 Vaccine Support for North Korea as Early as Q1 (Comprehensive)

WSJ "North Korea Requests Vaccine Support from International Organizations"
Relevant Organizations "Supply to All Requesting Countries in Q1"
President Moon "Actively Striving to Distribute Vaccines to Developing Countries"

Rodong Sinmun introduced the reactions from various sectors of North Korean residents who received the handwritten New Year's card sent by Chairman Kim Jong Un on the 1st, on the 3rd. The photo shows residents at the Central District People's Committee in Pyongyang, each holding and reading the newspaper containing the handwritten New Year's card while wearing masks.

It is expected that North Korea will receive support for COVID-19 vaccines as early as the first quarter of this year.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 4th (local time) that North Korea requested COVID-19 vaccine support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a non-governmental organization. Gavi is an international organization leading the COVAX initiative, which aims to fairly distribute COVID-19 vaccines to low-income countries that face difficulties in developing or purchasing vaccines on their own.

The method involves supplying vaccines to developing countries using funds donated by advanced countries, and out of 92 low-income countries, 86 have submitted vaccine applications. North Korea is also one of the eligible recipient countries. However, a Gavi spokesperson did not disclose whether North Korea had applied for vaccines, stating, "We are calculating vaccine demand from each country and will provide new information soon."

If North Korea has applied for vaccine support through Gavi, some vaccines could be provided as early as this spring.

The Gavi spokesperson's office stated, "In the first quarter of this year, a sufficient amount of vaccines will be initially delivered to healthcare and social welfare workers, and vaccines will be supplied to all applicant countries within the first half of the year." It is also known that North Korea recently inquired about vaccine procurement methods with several European embassies over the past few weeks.

Minister of Unification Lee In-young said in an interview with KBS on November 18 last year, "If we can cooperate with each other on (COVID-19) treatments and vaccines, it would be an opportunity for the North to somewhat escape the economic sacrifices made due to the quarantine system," adding, "I believe that sharing together when resources are scarce is the truest form of sharing."

The South Korean government has also expressed the position that COVID-19 vaccines should be provided to North Korea, but it is more likely to be done indirectly through COVAX rather than direct support. South Korea is one of the advanced countries participating in COVAX.

In a virtual speech at the UN 75th anniversary high-level meeting held at the UN Headquarters in the United States in September last year, President Moon Jae-in said, "We must guarantee equitable access to vaccines and treatments," and added, "South Korea will actively support the development and distribution of affordable vaccines for developing countries."

Lee In-young, Minister of Unification, has repeatedly expressed the position that COVID-19 vaccines and treatments should be provided to North Korea through media interviews and other channels.

In a November interview with KBS last year, Minister Lee said, "If we can cooperate with treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, it could be an opportunity for the North to somewhat escape the economic sacrifices caused by the quarantine system," and added, "I believe that sharing when resources are scarce is the truest form of sharing."

On December 22, during an online talk concert with youth aged 20-30, Minister Lee reaffirmed his stance on vaccine sharing, saying, "If more COVID-19 treatments and vaccines are developed and distributed someday, it would be good to share and cooperate to end the COVID-19 situation on the Korean Peninsula."

North Korea, which claims to have had no confirmed COVID-19 cases, implemented ultra-strong quarantine measures, including closing its borders among the first in the world immediately after COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China, in January last year.

On the same day, the Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun emphasized, "Even after entering the new year, we are not relaxing our tense and mobilized posture and are intensifying the battle to firmly strengthen the emergency quarantine front," adding, "There can be no satisfaction in emergency quarantine work."

The COVID-19 situation is also affecting North Korea's largest political event, the Workers' Party Congress, scheduled for the early part of January (1st to 10th). It is widely analyzed that this 8th Party Congress will likely be held on a somewhat reduced scale compared to the 7th Party Congress in 2016 due to the impact of COVID-19.

On the first day of the new year, citizens are paying their respects at the statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il at Mansudae in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Meanwhile, as of the morning of the 5th, news about the 8th Party Congress has not yet been reported. Intelligence agencies and experts have expected the event to be held on the 4th or 5th. This kind of movement by North Korea is unusual. For the 5th Party Congress in October 1980, the opening date was announced 20 days in advance, and for the 7th Party Congress in May 2016, it was announced 10 days prior.

There is speculation that the Party Congress has already been held but North Korea has not reported it, but this possibility seems low. In a page 4 article of Rodong Sinmun on the same day, it was suggested that the congress has not yet started, stating, "The 8th Party Congress, which has never been forgotten in our hearts for even a moment, is just ahead." If the congress is held on the 5th, related news is expected to be released late that night.

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