North Korea holds major political event indoors with nearly 5,000 attendees without mask

North Korea on January 5 kicked off its Eighth Party Congress, an event that is scheduled to take place ever five years and is expected to last for several days. However, the event that included North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and nearly 5,000 people, was held indoors with all officials seated close together and without facemasks. The pictures posted on Tuesday by the North Korean state media, KCNA, showed the members of the Workers Party Congress without any masks and it remains impossible to verify if face coverings were worn at any point in time. 

North Korea has not publicly reported a single COVID-19 case even as the global infections have surpassed 86 million with the virus reaching all the continents including North Korea’s immediate neighbouring countries. However, as per some media outlets, hosting the large-scale meeting without any official wearing mask is a way of reinforcing the government’s narrative of not having an outbreak in the secretive nation. 

Pyongyang not having a single coronavirus case is reportedly highly unlikely. Kim Jong Un has even gone at unusual lengths to limit the spread of COVID-19 implying that North Korea realises the dangers of the highly-contagious virus. Just shortly after the virus had emerged in China, North Korea had ceased all travel into the country and reportedly internal travel is also heavily limited.

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North Korea Significantly Reduced Trade With China

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had even initiated COVID-19 pandemic prevention plan by restricting borders as the nation scaled back trade with its largest trading partner, China in November 2020. North Korea reportedly made more stringent rules to prevent a pandemic and nearly suspended all trade with China along with allegedly executing the officials for not being able to handle the imported goods appropriately. 

During the months that world was rocked due to the global health crisis, the North Korean leader reportedly had ordered two executions related to crimes surrounding the highly-infectious disease. As per reports, South Korean lawmaker said after a briefing by country’s spy that it also included customs official who did not follow the COVID-19 prevention rules while importing goods from China.

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Credits for all images: AP