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Every day this week at 9:30 a.m., a soft-spoken official appeared on North Korean television to report the number of persons infected with COVID-19 and new deaths, as well as to explain actions to halt North Korea’s first proven COVID-19 outbreak.
Ryu Yong Chol, a little-known official, has become the public face of the secluded country’s fight against the epidemic, the equivalent of US COVID-19 czar Dr Anthony Fauci or Jeong Eun-kyeong, the director of South Korea’s disease prevention agency.
North Korea did not record a single incidence of covid for more than two years, with its borders sealed, which sceptics overseas said was more a reflection of its traditional governmental secrecy than a true lack of the coronavirus.
North Korea has shifted its strategy after announcing its first breakout and declaring a state of emergency last week. It appears to be following in the footsteps of many other countries by sharing extensive data on the virus’s spread and recommendations on how to avoid it.
According to KCNA, Ryu works for the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters, which looks to be freshly formed to combat COVID-19.
The North Korean agency, like its South Korean counterpart, holds daily briefings led by Ryu, but without questions from reporters.
Ryu, dressed in a suit and wearing horn-rimmed glasses, comes across as practical and to-the-point, attributes that are uncommon on North Korea’s carefully controlled television, which is better known for the histrionics of its broadcasters and adoring military chiefs.
“We must accelerate efforts to control and isolate every sick person, without exception, in order to entirely eradicate all sites where the infectious disease can spread,” Ryu said on Friday, calling for “vigilance against loopholes.”
North Korea has claimed 2,241,610 fever cases and 65 deaths among its 25 million citizens. It does not have testing capabilities and has not stated how many of those people have been proven to have contracted COVID-19.
Controlling the outbreak
Ryu’s medical qualifications, for example, are unknown.
In a July 2017 official media claim, the same-named director-general of the health ministry accused South Korea of “planning a biological terror strike” against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The charge was refuted by South Korea.
An official at South Korea’s unification ministry, which handles North Korean relations, confirmed Ryu previously held such job, though it was unclear whether he was the person named in the story.
“There’s some propaganda value because the figures are lower than those reported elsewhere,” Yang pointed out.
Another official from the Unification Ministry stated that North Korea may have learned from other countries and is publishing facts and data as part of an effort to “mobilise whatever means available” given the urgency of the epidemic.
Yang noted what appear to be much lower fatalities than elsewhere, speculating that the death toll may have been underreported in order to avoid political fallout.
“Publishing death numbers may necessitate political considerations because an increase in mortality is likely to fuel people’s concern and sour public attitude,” he said.
