COVID-19 , the DPRK and south Korea-UK KFA Commentary

                                                                         

Corona-Virus or COVID-19 is spreading rapidly throughout the world. It has lower mortality rate than SARS or MERS but paradoxically a much higher rate of infection with nearly 80,000 infected throughout the world (as of 24.02.2020) . South Korea is amongst the worst hit places with 833 cases (the highest outside China)  and so far 8 people have died .
   By contrast the DPRK has so far had no cases and this is confirmed by the World Heath Organisaiton of the UN . Stories spread by several mainstream media outlets about COVID-19 erupted in the DPRK have proved to be without foundation. Some tabloid media circulated a ridiculous story about a DPRK COVID-19 patient being executed at a public swimming pool, of course no name is given nor a date or place for where and when the alleged execution took place . Of course the source for the story is the south Korean fairy-tales factory which churns out fake news stories about DPRK personalities been executed only for them to reappear alive and well a few months later.
  The DPRK took early measures to stop COVID-19 from infiltrating into the country . It suspended international travel  closed the border and quarantined foreigners staying within the DPRK .  It organised a  Central Emergency Anti-epidemic Headquarters and took many other measures. Public areas and public transport vehicles have been disinfected . As many as 650,000 health workers have been deployed in order to combat the disease. Information about how to prevent COVID-19 is being broadcast regularly.The DPRK is going to introduce regular testing for the entire population.
                                       

  By contrast south Korea has declared an 'alert' over COVID-19 but in reality has done little to stop the spread of COVID-19.It failed to close borders , flights are still landing at Seoul airport (as 24.02.2020) . People in south Korea have to buy face-masks whereas they are distributed free of charge in the DPRK . The south Korean health service is poor and is not free of charge . A statement from the Pyongyang Mission of the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front of south Korea in 2009 said "Now in south Korea it costs US$ 100~400 for a comprehensive medical checkup and US$ 8~9 on average a day for hospitalization or US$ 100~300 in big hospitals in Seoul and other big cities.

While the rich spend millions of dollars for medical treatment abroad, the grass roots cannot afford the medical treatment in time so that various diseases are rampant; the number of meningitis patients has increased more than twice ..... In particular, 101 of 100,000 people at 20s, 284 of 100,000 at over 70s are tuberculosis patients making south Korea stigmatized as a “country coughing in tuberculosis”.
                              

  In contrast the DPRK had started to implement free health care in the 1940s and introduced universal free medical care in January 1953 . The DPRK has the advanced section doctor system whereby a doctor takes charge of a locality and does rounds visiting patients rather than patients going to the clinic to see the doctor.
   South Korea is probably facing total disaster from COVID-19,not the DPRK . The COVID-19 outbreak in south Korea shows the reactionary and corrupt nature of south Korean society where everything is run in the interests of the 1 per cent of the population . The superiority of the Juche-based socialist system over the south Korean puppet capitalist system is clearly proven by the different realities of the DPRK and south Korea.