Can North Korea control a major Covid outbreak?

Notoriously secretive state ‘on verge of catastrophe’

Kim Jong-un removes his face mask after announcing North Korea’s first official Covid case
Kim Jong-un announces North Korea’s first official Covid case
(Image credit: Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

North Korea could be on the brink of a health crisis, experts have said, after the country was plunged into a national lockdown amid what it claims is its first major outbreak of Covid-19.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us