North Korea reports 1st suspected COVID-19 infection

By Ahmet Furkan Mercan

TOKYO (AA) - North Korea on Sunday registered its first suspected case of novel coronavirus, according to Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

An individual who illegally entered the country last week through the border city of Kaesong was suspected of COVID-19 and taken under observation, reported KCNA.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held an emergency meeting, and said: "Despite the intense preventive anti-epidemic measures taken in all fields throughout the country and tight closure of all the channels for the last six months, there happened a critical situation in which the vicious virus could be said to have entered the country."

Kim noted that the maximum level of measures against the pandemic will be implemented in the country, the report added.

Kaesong has been closed to entry and exits since Friday after routine checks, and people traveling to and from the city in the last five days have been quarantined, Kim also said.

Early this year, Pyongyang announced it suspended all travels with China, and that there was no COVID-19 threat in the country.

* Writing by Firdevs Bulut, contribution by Sena Guler in Ankara.