by Paolo Salom
The supreme leader accuses his officials of “laziness” in the face of the virus. Meanwhile, Pyongyang is flexing its muscles ahead of Joe Biden’s visit to Seoul
Kim Jong-un opens two fronts after North Korea falls into Covid nightmare He brings it up in the unusual tones of a strict father with his officers guilty of “laziness” in the face of the pandemic, and in order not to lose his good habits, he would be willing to launch an ICBM to destroy his To signal “satisfaction” on the next visit of US President Joe Biden to South Korea, who would have expressed his desire to visit the Panmunjom area on the 38th parallel.
Covid-19, which has ravaged North Korea with 1.72 million infections and 62 deaths, has revealed for the first time to his officials the “nervousness” of the young Marshal, the absolute ruler of the Red Kingdom, from whom he certainly did not hide his public (that’s the novelty) irritation. “The immaturity in the state’s ability to deal with the crisis,” Kim said during a meeting of members of the presidium of the Politiburo, the decision-making body of the North Korean Workers’ Party, “and the dismissive attitude, laziness and inaction of the state leaders has revealed the weak points and fully revealing the emptiness of our work “towards Covid-19”. Kim, quoted by the official agency KCNA, then emphasized that one should not tolerate “negligence” and instead “overcome the seriousness of the situation”.
The Covid-19 pandemic took North Korea by surprise, but it did not respond to offers of medicines and medical equipment from Seoul, instead speeding up internal production of sterilants, thermometers and traditional medicines to relieve fever and pain. The North Korean authorities reported 262,270 new suspected cases of infection and one new death yesterday.
In this situation, Kim was able to flex her muscles once again. The usual South Korean sources, which are carefully monitoring every move of the North, have re-launched the intention, not yet operational, to conduct another missile test on the occasion of the leader’s visit to Seoul (late May) enemy nation: the United States. It certainly wouldn’t be the first: Pyongyang has conducted 16 similar tests so far since the start of the year.
But there is more. South Korean opposition MP Kim Byung-kee said North Korea has completed preparations for a nuclear test. It is known that in moments of internal difficulties, the regime has a bad habit of “provoking” opponents near and far just to consolidate the home front. Covid-19 is perhaps North Korea’s greatest and deadliest challenge since the famine that followed the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.
May 19, 2022 (Modified May 19, 2022 | 10:24 am)
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