N. Korean media airs documentary touting successful pandemic response

North Korea 11:28 January 24, 2023

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's state TV has aired a documentary film praising the country's success in tackling the coronavirus pandemic last year amid efforts to prevent another outbreak.

The documentary, aired on the Korean Central Television on Monday night, introduced Pyongyang's antivirus measures since the country announced its first COVID-19 case in May last year, recalling the pandemic period as the greatest "disturbance since the founding of the country."

"The threat of the malicious virus invading our territory was a problem, but the bigger problem was that the country had weak quarantine and health infrastructures, and we had to get through an unprecedented crisis when the economy was in a very difficult situation from the two-year virus crisis," the documentary said.

The film also hailed the country for successfully tackling the pandemic in around 80 days, calling it a "miracle on this planet" and an "unprecedented event" in the North's history.

In August last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared victory over COVID-19 and ordered the lifting of Pyongyang's "maximum emergency anti-epidemic" measures, claiming an end to the pandemic three months after announcing its first case.

North Korean state media has been highlighting the country's successful antivirus measures amid efforts to tighten discipline and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.