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Coronavirus Poses Major Threat to North Korea's Fragile Health System

Eunjung Cho

   North Korea is among a handful of countries in the world claiming to be
   free of COVID-19. The country is also among the most ill-prepared for a
   coronavirus outbreak.

   "I do think the North Korean government is very well aware of how weak
   their health care system is," said Katharina Zellweger, director of
   KorAid, a Hong-Kong-based non-governmental organization. "They're
   afraid they can't cope with an outbreak, and this is why all these
   measures were put into place so early."

   Zellweger, who has been providing humanitarian aid to North Korea since
   1995, spoke during a conference call Monday hosted by the Wilson
   Center.

   She explained that North Korea sealed off its border with China at the
   end of January, quarantined foreigners and enforced domestic travel
   restrictions.

   Crumbling medical system

   North Korea ranked 193th out of 195 countries surveyed, followed by
   Somalia and Equatorial Guinea, in the Global Health Index, in a study
   released last October by Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

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