SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared victory in the battle against the novel coronaviruses and ordered a lifting of its maximum anti-epidemic measures imposed in May. State media KCNA said on Thursday that the virus has not been confirmed and has reported no new suspected cases with what international aid organisations say are limited testing capabilities.
Kim said that North Korea's official death rate of 74 people is an unprecedented miracle compared to other countries.
Experts said that the North's numbers are unlikely to show the whole picture.
The vaccine program isn't known, and it's a declaration of victory. The country said that it relied on lockdowns, home-grown medicine treatments, and what Kim called the advantageous Korean-style socialist system, but said North Korea must maintain a strong anti-pandemic barrier and intensify the anti-epidemic work until the end of the global health crisis. Kim Yo Jong, Kim's sister, blamed leaflets from South Korea for the outbreak, and ordered the lifting of maximum anti-pandemic measures.