North Korea Suddenly Stops Imports Of COVID-19 Prevention And Control Products From China, What's Up?

Illustration of the handling of COVID-19 in North Korea. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - North Korea abruptly stopped importing COVID-19 prevention and control products from China in May, according to trade data released by Beijing, after the country purchased face masks and ventilators from its neighbors in previous months.

Daily new fever cases in North Korea, as reported by its state news agency, KCNA, have declined since the reclusive nation first admitted in mid-May it was battling the COVID-19 outbreak.

However, North Korean authorities have not disclosed how many of these cases have tested positive for the coronavirus. Usually, Pyongyang only announces the increase and decrease of fever cases in the country.

North Korea did not import face masks, thermometers, rubber gloves, ventilators or vaccines from China in May, according to data released by Chinese customs on Monday.

This is a far cry from the imports of more than 10.6 million masks, nearly 95,000 thermometers and 1,000 non-invasive ventilators from China in January-April.

In addition to buying from China, South Korea and the United States have offered to provide assistance, including a vaccine, but Pyongyang has not responded to date.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in June it thought the situation was getting worse, not better. This is because Pyongyang has never directly confirmed how many people have tested positive for the virus.

Overall, China's exports to North Korea slumped 85.2 percent to around $14.51 million in May, from $98.1 million in April.

The main export goods of the Bamboo Curtain country to North Korea include soybeans, granulated sugar, soybean meal and wheat flour.

North Korea bought $2.97 million worth of soybeans, $2.64 million of granulated sugar, $1.49 million of soybean meal and $846,598 worth of wheat flour in May, according to Chinese customs data.

Separately, China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on April 29 that China had suspended cross-border freight train services with North Korea, following consultations due to the COVID-19 infection in the border city of Dandong.