Wonsan: university in lockdown, but for the regime it is not Covid-19

It is reportedly only a "severe pneumonia". A group of university students in quarantine with a high fever and respiratory problems. The local population does not believe the official version. Pyongyang claims that there are no infections in the country.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The North Korean authorities have imposed a lockdown on the university for fisheries studies in Wonsan (Gangwon province). The Daily NK, citing its own source on the ground, reports the measure was adopted after a group of university students were quarantined for "severe pneumonia" in mid-October.

Pyongyang denies that it is coronavirus infections. The university students, who all live in a dormitory, however, have the coronavirus symptoms, that is high fevers and respiratory problems.

The Daily NK, which is based in Seoul and is linked to the South Korean Unification Ministry, reports that the local population does not believe the official version, and is convinced that they are facing a Covid-19 outbreak.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic earlier this year, the Kim Jong-un regime has always maintained that there have been no cases of infection in North Korea. To avoid contagion risks, Kim has ordered the closure of the borders, including the one with China, despite its economic dependence on it. He also refused foreign aid for the floods that hit the country in recent months.

According to data from the World Health Organization, as of 22 October there were about 32,000 people placed in solitary confinement with the symptoms of the coronavirus in North Korea. According to Daily NK, which reports official data, as of November 1st they are actually 80,000.

• north korea
• university
• wonsan
• covid-19
• coronavirus
• virus
• pandemic
• kim jong-un
• pyongyang
• lockdown
• quarantine