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It has been reported recently that North Korea returned a shipment of 15,000 face masks from China. because they speculated that it was manufactured in South Korea. South Korean products are illegal in North Korea, as are many Western products and concepts, such as luxury goods and travelling abroad. North Korea prohibits such things in order to maintain control over their population and keep Westernization out.
One issue with their rejection of the masks is that North Korea’s demands are extremely difficult to meet. They want high quality masks at a relatively low-mid tier price from China, although China mainly manufactures cheap quality products at a cheap price.
If North Korea is asking for over 15,000 face masks, it is only natural to assume that the infamous Coronavirus has begun to take a significant toll on the North Korean population. North Korea’s unreasonable demands and stubbornness may be costing human lives.
There are many flaws in this situation. Firstly, North Koreans are dependent on the state for information. The government prohibits communication with the outside and heavily censors information, especially ones that can make the government look bad, such as the negative effects of the coronavirus. In terms of health, due to long-term economic failure, most North Koreans are malnourished and vulnerable to infection. Not only this but the population is also, as one source puts it, “immunologically naive,” meaning that the population is rarely exposed to any disease because of the heavy travel restrictions that prevent foreign illnesses from entering the country. All of these aspects can backfire, as it will be difficult for North Koreans to act safely and accordingly in the same way Westerners are able to, especially if the information given by the government is incomplete or inaccurate. The infection can spread faster than most regions in the world, leaving North Korean people one of the most vulnerable populations.
Sydney P
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