Skip to main content

Kim Jong Un in first appearance in weeks as coronavirus rages next door

MENA
North Korea's Kim Jong Un marked the birth anniversary of the country's former leader Sunday, in his first reported public appearance in over three weeks as a deadly coronavirus rage in neighbouring China.
Kim "paid high tribute" to his father Kim Jong Il at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang that holds the embalmed bodies of his father and grandfather, the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported.
The COVID-19, which originated in China and has killed more than 1,600 people, has alarmed the North, prompting it to close its borders and suspend all flights and trains to and from its giant neighbour and most important ally.
Pyongyang has said nothing about cases in the North, but it has stopped international tourism and extended the quarantine period to 30 days for those suspected of carrying the virus, including foreigners.
State media has carried photos of mask-wearing officials holding emergency meetings as well as images of workers disinfecting public places including hospitals, schools, railway stations, and hair salons.
The appearance is Kim's first in 22 days after he attended Lunar New Year festivities then disappeared from the public eye amid global concern over the coronavirus outbreak.
This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 16, 2020 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) visiting his father and former leader Kim Jong Il's mausoleum at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark his birthday in Pyongyang. (Photo by STR / KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

The North has poor medical infrastructure and a chronic shortage of medicines and has taken similar action in the past -- it banned tourists for more than four months from October 2014 to keep out the Ebola virus, even though no cases had been reported in Asia.
At Mansu hill in Pyongyang on Sunday, a steady stream of North Koreans lined up to pay their own respects, placing flowers at the feet of the giant bronze statues of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, the country's founder.
The anniversaries of the births and deaths of the two elder Kims are major holidays on the North Korean calendar, with February 16 celebrated as the Day of the Shining Star.


Source:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

5 Ways Alcohol Is Affecting Your Body

People toasting drinks in bar | Konbini There are several ways heavy drinking is affecting your body. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), heavy drinking is characterised as more than four or five drinks in a two-hour sitting. From DNA to hormones, heavy drinking can alter your body’s biology in a big and detrimental way. Keep reading for ways alcohol affects your body according to  Everyday Health . Change Your DNA And Make You Crave More Alcohol A  study, published in December 2018 in the journal  Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research , identified two genes that are subject to change — one affecting the body’s biological clock and one regulating the stress response system. The study’s authors, from Rutgers University also found that the genetic changes in binge and heavy drinkers were associated with a higher desire for alcohol. Increase the Risk of Cancer — Especially of the Head, Neck, Liver, and Breast The Natio...

Death toll rises to at least 100 after Pakistan snow, avalanches

Local residents search for the avalanche victims in the snow in Neelum Valley, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on January 15, 2020. – Avalanches, flooding and harsh winter weather killed more than 130 people across Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent days, leaving others stranded by heavy snowfall, officials said on January 14. (Photo by STR / AFP) Search teams found the bodies of 14 people buried by avalanches and heavy snowfall in Pakistani-administered Kashmir Wednesday, with harsh weather hampering rescuers as they race to find any survivors, officials said. The death toll from days of bad weather now stands at 76 in Kashmir, and at least 100 across the country, according to a statement from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Most were killed in Kashmir’s picturesque Neelum Valley, which had been hard hit by avalanches earlier in the week, said operations director of the Kashmiri disaster management authority Saeed ur Rehamn Qureshi. He said “scores” of houses had b...

Aisha Buhari Tweets Video Of Daughter Waving Inside Presidential Jet (Video)

  Hanan Buhari waving from presidential jet Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday shared a video of her daughter Hanan waving at a crowd from the presidential jet. This comes as Nigerians on social media have been lambasting the president's daughter for using the presidential jet for her private photography business. The 55 seconds clip, accompanied with a musical background, showed Hanan capturing the culture of Bauchi people. Hanan’s use of one of the aircraft in the presidential fleet to a private ceremony in Bauchi had stirred a controversy, with many accusing her family of abusing power. The opposition party condemned the act, calling it an abuse of power. Also, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana said it was illegal for Hanan to use the jet on a private trip. Rilwanu Adamu, emir of Bauchi, had reportedly invited her to document an annual festival and some tourist attractions in the state. However, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, defended the f...