{"id":5821,"date":"2022-05-17T11:25:52","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T02:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=5821"},"modified":"2022-05-25T16:24:56","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T07:24:56","slug":"interviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2022\/05\/society-economy\/interviews\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInterview from Inside N. Korea\uff1e People are afraid of starvation if cities are locked down\u2026PCR tests don\u2019t exist\u2026ASIAPRESS interviews a N. Korean to better understand the situation in the country and how people are feeling"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

North Korea has implemented an over-the-top strategy to face down COVID-19. People in this photo are wearing protective clothing while repairing a dyke on the Yalu River. This photo was taken by ASIAPRESS from the Chinese side of the river in October 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

North Korean state-run media has been reporting that the number of people showing symptoms of COVID-19 has exploded. However, the real situation in the country is unclear despite the fact that the country has called the penetration of the COVID-19 virus the \u201cbiggest emergency incident in the country.\u201d ASIAPRESS heard from a reporting partner in Musan County, North Hamgyong Province, on May 14 about the situation. (KANG Ji-won, ISHIMARU Jiro<\/em>)<\/p>\n

\u25c6 No lockdowns yet<\/h2>\n

North Korea\u2019s largest iron mine is located in Musan County, a mid-sized city close to North Korea\u2019s border with China with an estimated population of around 100,000 people. \u201cB,\u201d an ASIAPRESS reporting partner, is a laborer at the mine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 We\u2019ve heard that there are rising cases of people with fevers. Has Musan County been put under lockdown?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong> \u3000No, there\u2019s been no lockdown. No one is allowed to go to other counties or cities, however. People aren\u2019t even allowed to cross over district boundaries within Musan County, either.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 Are people allowed to go outside their homes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:\u3000<\/strong> People can go outside their homes, but they must wear masks. People are going to work, but are prohibited to eat lunch together at the workplace. Inminban (people\u2019s units) have created quarantine checkpoints to prevent people from moving around.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 What happens when a person with a fever is discovered?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:\u3000<\/strong> \u201cTheir apartments are locked down. The authorities have explained that with the rise in people with fevers, lockdowns start at the inminban level before moving to the neighborhood (dong) and district (guyeok) levels. When Hyesan was completely locked down in the past, it was a big mess because everything stopped and there were even people who starved. That\u2019s why the authorities are treading lightly with the lockdowns (this time).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u203b When Hyesan was locked down in November 2020 and January 2021, the authorities banned people from leaving their homes and closed the markets, leading to loss of life among those who couldn\u2019t obtain food and medical supplies.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 Are the markets still open?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong> \u3000The markets are still open as usual. That being said, the authorities said they may close them if the number of COVID-19 cases rise.
\n<\/p>\n

\u25c6 People are most frustrated by lockdowns, which cause food shortages<\/h2>\n

\u2015\u2015 We\u2019ve heard that mobilizations to agricultural areas have been halted.<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong> \u3000People are still being sent to collective farms within the districts in which they live, but mobilizations to other areas have been stopped.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 How are the authorities determining people have been infected by COVID-19?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong> \u3000They just check people\u2019s temperatures. I\u2019ve never seen anyone do a PCR test. They say that the symptoms of COVID-19 are fevers and coughing; however, they\u2019ve been saying that for a long time. Isn\u2019t COVID-19 just like a summer cold?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015Is there an increasing sense of unrest among the people?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong> \u3000People are afraid of lockdowns more than anything else. They fear not being able to get food. They remember their experience of facing starvation. They think: COVID-19 (lockdowns) may cause them to die of starvation.<\/p>\n

\u203b ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Map of North Korea ( ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\uff1cRelated Article\uff1e<\/div>\n