Life in North Korea and Covid’s Effect on it

Thomas Wilson (SU Re)

As I’m sure you know, life in North Korea is anything but ordinary. The country on the northern part of the Korean peninsula is ruled by the dictator Kim Jong-un. The 25 million people who live there are under constant terror as stepping out of the line in any way, even as small as having an unregistered hairstyle, can land you in forced labour camps for the rest of your life, or worse. During Covid the country, already more locked down than any other, has gone into what can be described as an ultra-lockdown. All of the country’s borders have been sealed since 22nd January 2020 and show no signs of opening any time soon.

Living in North Korea has lots of negatives and yet no benefits. For the citizens, moving to a new country is not an option. If you are caught attempting to defect you and your family will be punished; they might even be executed if you escape. Public executions are still a part of normal life (only three or four other countries in the world still practise them). Their purpose is to discourage crime. So far 318 sites have been located across the country but there are likely more. The majority of executions happen by firing squad, but hanging also occurs.

Life in the capital, Pyongyang, is very different from living in the countryside. Citizens need permission to live in the city and it is generally made up of people who are loyal to the party and have high positions in society. The streets of North Korea’s capital are supposedly nearly empty as there is a lack of both cars and people. Outside of the cities almost all signs of wealth disappear. The land, where it isn’t mountainous, is mainly made up of fields of corn and rice. All of the people work in hard manual labour as there is little machinery.

No one in the countryside owns much in the way of technology as it is far too expensive for them and even in the cities it is a rarity. The internet is not allowed in North Korea and there is only the national service Kwangmyong, which literally translates as ‘Bright Light’. This is heavily filtered very few services are provided. Possessing anything digital from another country, even South Korea, can land you in forced labour camps. Many North Koreans attempt to have Western movies on USB drives, as entertainment in North Korea is extremely limited.

Knowledge of North Korea’s response to Covid-19 is limited, but we know that the country has been completely sealed off. All of the borders have been closed this entire time and at the same time the nation’s media has been pumping out information on the dangers of the virus and praising the country’s response to it. Officially North Korea has had no cases of Covid; since 8thJanuary 13,259 people have been tested, all of whom have come back negative. Roughly 700 Koreans are tested each week.

The closest to an official case of Covid in North Korea was in July when a state newspaper reported that a state of emergency had been declared in Kaesong city. A defector had returned to the country from South Korea and was suspected to have Covid, but the case was never confirmed.

The true effect of coronavirus on North Korea is unknown to all outsiders but it is likely that over the coming years we will find out what the true situation is inside the country. Until then it is impossible to know.

North Koreans have certainly suffered during Covid due to heavily enforced restrictions. However, this is not the problem. The real problem lies within the violent and corrupt state. The way people are forced to lead their lives can certainly be seen as a violation of human rights.

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