- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un slams his country’s response to its first officially confirmed COVID-19 outbreak as “immature.”
- Pyongyang reported six more deaths after the country admitted to a COVID outbreak last week.
- North Korea currently has 1.72 million patients with fever symptoms, including 62 deaths as of Tuesday evening.
- Health officials have developed a COVID-19 treatment guide to prevent drug overdoses that have led to reported deaths.
- The Korean People’s Army Ground Force has been deployed to all pharmacies in the Capital.
- The Covid crisis is being considered Kim’s biggest challenge.
- South Korea and China have offered to send vaccines, medicine and medical supplies.
- If Kim accepts aid, it will hurt his standing as leader. Kim has made “self reliance” his governing mantra.
- North Korea is also planning a possible intercontinental ballistic missile test within the next 48 to 96 hours.
- President Biden is coming on an Asia visit. He will visit South Korea on Thursday.
- Pyongyang may also be preparing for its first underground nuclear test in nearly five years.
- Biden’s trip is the first time a US president has travelled to Asia amid the threat of a nuclear test.
- US has pushed the UN for more sanctions against the North Korean regime earlier this month.
- North Korea has been under sanctions since 2006
- In response North Korea launched a series of ICBM tests.
- Experts believe these ICBMs could reach the eastern coast of the US
