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This photo, released by state-run media, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visiting a pharmacy in Pyongyang to “acquaint himself with the supply of medicines” on May 15. (KCNA/Yonhap News)

Though South Korea attempted to send North Korea a letter of notice proposing inter-Korean working-level talks for the purpose of disease control cooperation, Pyongyang has yet to express its intent to receive the letter, the South Korean Ministry of Unification announced on Monday.

On the same day, the number of individuals experiencing a fever in North Korea shot up to 392,290, with the country struggling to stock its pharmacies with medical supplies in time. In turn, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued a special order tasking the nation’s army to help stabilize the provision of medical supplies.

During his inaugural address on Monday, South Korean Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se stated that the South Korean government “intends to actively cooperate with North Korea in preventing the spread of COVID-19,” adding that it “plans to carry out unconditional cooperation uncoupled with any political situation when it comes to humanitarian medical and disease control cooperation.”

The Unification Ministry stated that accordingly, it “tried to send a letter of notice regarding COVID-19 disease control cooperation in Unification Minister Kwon Young-se’s name to North Korea’s Kim Yong-chol, the director of the United Front Department [of the Workers’ Party of Korea], via the inter-Korean liaison office, but the North has yet to express its intent to receive the letter.”

A high-ranking ministry official met with reporters and added that “we need to take the time to wait and not press [the North], as we are not trying to be condescending [with our proposal].”

Since North Korea first acknowledged the spread of COVID-19 within its borders on Thursday, when the country reported 18,000 positive cases, the number of individuals experiencing a fever in the North has been skyrocketing day after day.

The party-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Sunday that from 6 pm on Saturday to 6 pm on Sunday, an additional 392,920 individuals across the country experienced a fever, while some 152,600 recovered and eight died. Moreover, the newspaper stated that, from late April to 6 pm on Sunday, the number of persons with a fever in North Korea totaled 1,213,550, among which 648,630 recovered and 564,860 are receiving medical treatment.

“The death toll stands at 50,” it added.

KCNA reported that a military parade, shown here, was held in Pyongyang on the evening of April 25 to mark the founding of the KPRA. (KCNA/Yonhap News)

While the number of people newly experiencing a fever in North Korea on Sunday was 1.3 times that recorded on Saturday (296,180), the country’s Sunday death toll was fewer than its Saturday record (15). The cumulative fatality rate reported by North Korea stands at 0.004%, with 50 deaths tallied out of a cumulative total of 1,213,550 North Koreans having shown signs of a fever.

The figure is incomparably lower than South Korea’s cumulative COVID-19-related fatality rate and Omicron fatality rate, which stand at 0.13% and 0.10%, respectively. This is why experts are questioning the consistency and credibility of the statistics announced by Pyongyang’s disease control headquarters.

Kim Jong-un has been presiding over emergency consultative meetings of the Politburo for two consecutive days since Saturday to manage the situation. Rodong Sinmun noted that Kim pointed out “that the medicines provided by the state have not been supplied to inhabitants through pharmacies correctly in time” and “criticized the Cabinet and public health sector for their irresponsible work attitude and organizing and executing ability.” The newspaper also added that Kim “censured the director of the Central Public Prosecutors Office for the idleness and negligence of his duty.”

What’s noteworthy about Rodong Sinmun’s article is that Kim reportedly specifically ordered the “immediate stabiliz[ation of] the supply of medicines in Pyongyang” even as he pointed out “several negative phenomena in the nationwide handling and sale of medicines.” Even more, Kim “dropped in at pharmacies in Taedonggang District [in Pyongyang] and learnt in detail about the supply and sale of medicines” and instructed “members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee” to do the same with “pharmacies in Pyongyang.”

Kim seems to have been focusing his attention on Pyongyang — the “revolutionary heart” of North Korea where roughly 3,100,000 people or 12% of the country’s total population (25,370,000) live — as it is where COVID-19 was first detected in the country, and where most COVID-19 cases have since occurred. Pyongyang is also the only city in North Korea that has seen deaths by COVID-19 — specifically by the Omicron variant.

Kim wears a mask as he visits pharmacies in Pyongyang on May 15. (KCNA/Yonhap News)

The North’s state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters previously reported to Kim that “a fever whose cause couldn’t be identified explosively spread nationwide from late April.” Kim also visited the headquarters on Thursday, when he referred to “the simultaneous spread of fever with the capital area as a centre.”

These passages from Rodong Sinmun indicate that the first embers of COVID-19’s spread in North Korea were kindled in Pyongyang in late April. In fact, large-scale political events took place one after another in Pyongyang throughout April.

On April 25, over 100,000 people including members of 72 military troops gathered in Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army, returning to their residence after the event. Also on April 15, thousands gathered in Kim Il-sung Square to participate in a national meeting and a public procession celebrating the 110th birthday of Kim Il-sung.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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