{"id":5834,"date":"2022-05-25T11:00:57","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T02:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=5834"},"modified":"2022-06-01T12:44:06","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T03:44:06","slug":"korona-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2022\/05\/society-economy\/korona-8\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1eN. Korea\u2019s largest iron mine shutdowns, markets close, and controls intensify daily due to COVID-19 in N. Hamgyong Province\u2019s Musan County"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Barbed-wire fences have been installed along the area along the Yalu River on the China-North Korea border ostensibly to prevent those infected with COVID-19 from entering the country. A soldier can be seen standing guard in a dilapidated-looking checkpoint. This photo was taken by ASIAPRESS on the Chinese side of the border in July 2021.<\/p><\/div>\n

The situation in North Korea is changing by the day as the country\u2019s authorities intensify controls over the society to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.<\/p>\n

It has been just under two weeks since North Korean authorities acknowledged on May 12 that the country was facing a spread of COVID-19. Through state-run media. the authorities are releasing the data they are collecting on the number of people who have recovered from fevers along with the number of deaths. However, it is difficult to say that these figures accurately reflect the spread of the virus in the country. An ASIAPRESS reporting partner in the northern part of the country has been providing reports on what\u2019s happening since the crisis began. His reports suggest that there are differences in how the authorities are responding to the pandemic in each region of the country and that circumstances in the country are changing day-by-day. (KANG Ji-won \/ ISHIMARU Jiro<\/em>)<\/p>\n

\u25c6 Musan is locked down\u2026nobody is going to work<\/h2>\n

The reporting partner, \u201cB,\u201d lives in Musan County, North Hamgyong Province. On May 20, he provided his third report to ASIAPRESS since the start of the crisis. Musan County is a mid-sized city of an estimated 100,000 people situated on the border with China. It also boasts North Korea\u2019s largest iron mine. \u201cB\u201d is a worker at the mine.<\/p>\n

According to a report given by \u201cB\u201d on May 14, the markets and businesses in Musan County were still operating and people were able to leave their homes despite some restrictions. A report provided by \u201cB\u201d on May 17, however, revealed that the markets in the city had closed. His May 20 report disclosed that the county\u2019s largest company, the Musan Mine, had shut down. It appears that the lockdowns and quarantines in the city are gradually intensifying. What follows below are answers \u201cB\u201d gave to questions posed by ASIAPRESS.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 Are people still going to work in Musan County?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong> \u3000The area is practically locked down. It appears there\u2019s been COVID-19 cases discovered in Musan County. Even in the county\u2019s administrative center (Musan-eup), there have been several COVID-19 cases, which led to the closure of all businesses except for collective farms. Even the Musan Mine has been shut down. In Musan-eup, nobody is allowed to leave there homes or walk around. The only people walking around are inspection teams.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 Tell us more about the lockdown.<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong> \u3000People are not allowed to walk around, and the military and police and security agencies have been mobilized to enforce the ban on movement. In areas that have been locked down, nobody is allowed to leave their homes and these areas have been divided into districts to better enforce controls. I\u2019ve heard that there\u2019s been a rash of infections in Chongjin, but it\u2019s unclear exactly what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n

\u203b Chongjin is located in North Hamgyong Province and is the country\u2019s third largest city with an estimated population of around 700,000 people.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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A scene from the central district of Musan County in North Hamgyong Province taken from the Chinese side of the border. A railway station can be seen in the right-hand side of the photo. This photo was taken by Nam Jong-hak (ASIAPRESS) on the Chinese side of the border in July 2021.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u25c6 The biggest issues facing people are the lack of food and medical supplies<\/h2>\n

\u2015\u2015 We\u2019ve heard that there\u2019s a severe lack of medical supplies for those in isolation in another area of the country. What about where you are?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:\u3000<\/strong> The authorities are isolating people for 25 days if they show signs of fevers and colds. I\u2019ve heard they have organized \u201cmedical supply provision teams\u201d to provide supplies to those in urgent need through inminban (people\u2019s units), not through hospitals. That\u2019s because the authorities are worried that doing checkups on people in hospitals could lead to the spread of infection. I\u2019ve heard that fever patients will be getting cold medicine from China\u2026<\/p>\n

\u203b It is not clear whether isolation periods in areas outside of Musan are also 25 days.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 How about food distribution to those in isolation?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:<\/strong> \u3000I\u2019ve heard that food is being acquired and supplied by the local government (people\u2019s committee) and companies, not the central government, but they say there\u2019s a total lock of food available. The leadership is saying that people with COVID-19 symptoms will be fine if they just endure for a couple days.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 Are there people dying of disease or starvation?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B<\/strong>: \u3000I don\u2019t know how many people have died because I haven\u2019t been able to go outside.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

B:<\/strong> \u3000They were closed on May 15. White rice now costs KPW 5,800 a kilogram, while corn costs KPW 2,900 a kilogram. The prices have risen because food sellers are holding back from selling their goods due to the fact that the authorities are enforcing strong price controls.<\/p>\n

\u203b On May 6, white rice was KPW 5,200 a kilogram while corn was KPW 2,700 a kilogram. KPW 5,000 is around KRW 1,000.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2015\u2015 We\u2019ve heard from you before that mobile phone service is poor when calling other areas in North Korea. Has anything changed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B:\u3000<\/strong> It\u2019s still difficult to connect with others in the country by phone, but not impossible.<\/p>\n

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

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

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