Kim Jong Un Puts on Mask, Orders Nationwide Lockdown After North Korea Reports First Official COVID-19 Case
North Korea is in a “major national emergency” after the country identified its first official case of COVID-19 on Thursday (May 12).
The case of Omicron was detected in the country’s capital Pyongyang and leader Kim Jong Un, appearing on Korean TV in a medical mask for the first time, has since ordered all cities and counties to go into lockdown.
Although North Korea had not reported any COVID-19 cases before this, experts highly doubt that the nation of 25 million completely avoided the virus.
North Korea Fires 3 Suspected Ballistic Missiles as U.S. Pushes U.N. for More Sanctions
North Korea fired several suspected ballistic missiles toward the sea on Thursday (May 12), according to South Korea. They are the latest in a series of weapons tests this year and came just hours after the Kim Jong Un regime confirmed its very first case of COVID-19.
A statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military had detected three short-range ballistic missiles had been fired from the Sunan area of Pyongyang into the East Sea.
CBS News’ Jen Kwon in Seoul said the tests were atypical: North Korea normally launches its missiles in the morning, but Thursday’s launches took place in rapid succession late in the afternoon.