hankyoreh

This photo, published in the North's state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper in August 2020, shows a health worker administering a temperature check on a man in Pyongyang. (Yonhap News)

North Korea is threatening "resolute countermeasures" in response to a report by a panel of experts with the UN Security Council (UNSC) Sanctions Committee on North Korea. The report indicated that malnourished children have been failing to receive adequate medical treatment since borders were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its response, the North called the claims a "sheer lie" and "black-hearted act of hostility."

The Korean Central News Agency published Tuesday a "Statement of Director of Research Institute for Nutrition Care of Children of DPRK."

In the statement, the director of the Research Institute for Nutrition Care of Children under the Academy of Medical Science of the DPRK Ministry of Public Health said, "According to the news, a 'report' published by a UN experts' group contains such groundless information that many children suffering from malnutrition in our country cannot receive proper treatment due to the state emergency anti-epidemic measures taken to check the inroads of COVID-19."

The statement continued, "[T]hose styling themselves experts under the berets of UN are distorting the situation of our country to give impression that serious 'malnutrition of children' exists in our country. This cannot but be viewed as a black-hearted act of hostility to tarnish the image of our country."

"Our state takes the whole responsibility for the health and future of our children," the statement said.

"In my opinion, it is necessary to seriously examine whether 'humanitarian cooperation' under the signboard of UN and NGOs would truly help us and to take resolute countermeasures against the entity and organizations going about in cahoots with the hostile forces," it added.

The "resolute countermeasures" in question could refer to the refusal of visits and aid by UN and international humanitarian groups or the expulsion of officials with UN organizations currently in North Korea.

A South Korean Ministry of Unification (MOU) official said, "Our understanding is that most employees of UN organizations in North Korea have been withdrawn after the North Korean authorities' border closure measures in response to COVID-19."

On March 31, findings were published from a survey of 38 UN relief organizations and relief groups by a panel of experts affiliated with the UNSC Sanctions Committee on North Korea. The groups in question stated that most relief items had not reached their destination due to the border closure and domestic travel bans in response to the pandemic.

One relief group was quoted as predicting that "approximately 440,000 children and pregnant and lactating women will not receive micronutrients, approximately 95,000 acutely malnourished children will not receive necessary treatment and approximately 101,000 kindergarten-aged children will not receive fortified foods."

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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