North Korea On Lockdown After First Acknowledged COVID-19 Case
Newsy
Hours after North Korea confirmed its first case of COVID, South Korean officials said the country fired three short-range missiles into the sea.
North Korean state media confirmed the country’s first COVID-19 infections Thursday as leader Kim Jong-un ordered nationwide lockdowns to slow the spread of the virus. Kim also ordered officials to bolster the country’s defense posture to avoid any security vacuum.
In recent months, North Korea has test-launched a spate of missiles in what experts call an attempt to modernize its weapons and pressure the United States and its allies into accepting it as a nuclear state and relax sanctions on the North. Some observers say that despite the elevated anti-virus steps, North Korea would likely continue to build its arsenal with weapons tests to boost public morale and strengthen loyalty for the Kim leadership.
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