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Report Reveals North Korea's Covid 'Miracle' as Deadly Deception

Late-2023 interviews with 100 North Koreans reveal that the government's pandemic denial fueled a sweeping health crisis, deepening food insecurity.

No pedestrians are seen in front of Pyongyang's main train station amid growing fears over the spread of COVID-19 on May 23, 2022.
People wearing masks for protection against the coronavirus walk in Pyongyang amid the scorching summer heat on July 20, 2021.
Employees spray disinfectant at a department store in Pyongyang on March 18, 2022.
People wearing face masks for protection against Covid-19 walk in Pyongyang on Aug. 19, 2021.

Overview

  • The CSIS and George W. Bush Institute report is based on 100 in-person interviews conducted discreetly inside North Korea between September and December 2023.
  • Respondents say Covid-19 spread widely from 2020 despite official ‘zero cases’ claims, with 92% reporting infections before Pyongyang’s May 2022 acknowledgment.
  • Fear of punishment led both local officials and citizens to underreport symptoms, creating a “double lie” that masked the virus’s true reach.
  • Border closures, market shutdowns and travel bans worsened food and medicine shortages, leaving over 80% of those surveyed facing hunger during lockdowns.
  • With virtually no access to vaccines, tests or protective gear, many turned to counterfeit or self-prescribed treatments, and one in five reported witnessing related deaths.