Handling COVID-19 Outbreak, Kim Jong-un Orders North Korean Military To Stabilize Drug Supply

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered the military to stabilize distribution of COVID-19 medicines in the capital, Pyongyang, in the battle against the country's first confirmed outbreak of the disease, state media said.

North Korea first announced and confirmed the COVID-19 outbreak last week, while experts warned it could be devastating for the country due to limited media supplies and a lack of vaccination programs.

Medicines purchased by the state do not reach people quickly or accurately, Leader Kim said at an emergency politburo meeting on Sunday, before visiting a pharmacy near the Taedong River in the capital, state news agency KCNA said, citing Reuters May 17.

Kim ordered the immediate deployment of "strong forces" from the army medical corps to "stabilize the supply of medicine in Pyongyang City", he added.

Although the authorities have ordered the distribution of national reserve medicines, pharmacies are not well equipped to carry out their functions smoothly, Leader Kim criticized, the agency said.

Among the shortcomings are the lack of adequate storage of drugs, salespeople not equipped with proper sanitary clothes, and hygiene that does not meet standards, Kim Jong-un said.

Not only that, he criticized the "irresponsible" work attitude, organization, and execution by the cabinet and the public health sector, he added.

Without a national vaccination campaign and COVID treatment, state media have encouraged patients to use painkillers and antibiotics as well as unverified home remedies, such as gargling with salt water, or drinking lonicera japonica tea or willow leaf tea.

Illustration of North Korea's military deployment to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. (Source: KCNA)

Separately, Seoul's Unification Ministry, which is in charge of cross-border relations, said it had proposed working-level talks to provide medical supplies, including vaccines, masks, and test kits, as well as technical cooperation, but North Korea had not acknowledged the message.

The offer came shortly after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said he would not waste efforts to help North Korea fight its outbreak, saying it was ready to provide a COVID-19 vaccine and other medical support.

President Yoon said he would send humanitarian aid without political considerations, while expressing concern over North Korea's recent missile launches and signs of preparations for what would be its first nuclear test since 2017.

"If North Korea responds, I will not withhold the necessary support for medicines including COVID vaccines, medical equipment, and health personnel," he said in a speech to parliament.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the virus could spread rapidly in North Korea, citing a lack of vaccination programs, but had not received information about the outbreak directly from local authorities.

"With countries not yet starting to vaccinate against COVID-19, there is a risk that the virus could spread rapidly among the masses unless curbed by prompt and appropriate action," Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO regional director for Southeast Asia, said in a statement.

The tally of fever-stricken North Korea stood at 1.213.550, with 50 deaths as of Sunday, after KCNA reported 392.920 more fever cases, and eight more deaths. The data, however, did not say how many suspected infections had tested positive for COVID-19.

It is known that North Korea blames a large number of deaths on people who are careless in taking drugs, due to a lack of knowledge about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and its correct treatment.