Seoul spy agency: No sign North Korean leader has been vaccinated
2024-09-23 03:20:43 [新闻中心] 来源:CCTV News Channel live broadcast
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / Yonhap |
There is no sign that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been inoculated against the coronavirus and his country hasn't received any foreign vaccines, South Korea's spy agency said Thursday.
The National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing that it hasn't detected any information that North Korea has acquired vaccines, according to Ha Tae-keung, one of the legislators who attended the session. He quoted the NIS as saying there were no signs that Kim has been inoculated.
COVAX, the U.N.-backed program to ship COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, said in February that North Korea could receive 1.9 million doses in the first half of the year. But the shipment hasn't been made, and there have been no reports that North Korea has tried to secure vaccines elsewhere for its 26 million people.
The NIS has a mixed record in reporting developments in North Korea, one of the world's most secretive countries. Some non-government experts have speculated that Kim and his top deputies may have received vaccines imported through unofficial channels.
Another lawmaker, Kim Byung-kee, quoted the NIS as saying that North Korea's government is trying to dispel any expectations among ordinary citizens that they will receive vaccines from abroad and is instead urging them to boost their anti-virus vigilance.
He said North Korea is building guard posts and concrete structures along its border with China to prevent illegal border crossings as part of its anti-virus steps. He said the lawmakers were told that North Korea isn't even allowing the entry of diplomats from China, its main ally and aid benefactor.
Kim Jong-un recently berated top officials for ''crucial'' failures in coronavirus prevention that he said caused a ''great crisis.'' But his government continues to claim a perfect record in fending off the virus from its territory, an assertion that is widely questioned by outside experts.
The World Health Organization said last week that North Korea has reported to it that it has tested 31,794 people for the virus through June 24 and that all were negative.
North Korea rejects AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine: think tank 2021-07-09 15:45 | North Korea
Kim in recent speeches has called for the nation to brace for prolonged COVID-19 restrictions, indicating the country isn't ready to reopen its borders despite the massive toll on its economy, which had already been devastated by years of mismanagement and U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear program.
According to the NIS briefing, North Korea had planned to reopen its border with China in April but shelved the idea due to a shortage of disinfecting equipment, Ha said.
UNICEF, which procures and delivers vaccines on behalf of COVAX, said it remains unclear when vaccines could be delivered in North Korea, which has yet to complete its paperwork for receiving supplies from COVAX.
''WHO and UNICEF have been working with the (North Korean) Ministry of Public Health to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility. However, (North Korea) has not received vaccines through the COVAX Facility yet and there is no confirmation when the country will receive them,'' UNICEF said in an emailed statement.
Hong Min, a senior analyst at Seoul's Korea Institute for National Unification, said North Korea's anti-virus campaign remains focused on tough quarantines and border controls, and vaccines appear to be a secondary priority.
Kim has repeatedly urged the North Korean public to unite under his family's leadership to build a self-reliant economy and withstand pandemic-related difficulties.
On Thursday, Kim paid respects at the mausoleum where the embalmed body of his grandfather, national founder Kim Il Sung, lies in state to mark the 27th anniversary of his death. As at other recent events, he and other top officials did not wear masks.
During the visit, Ri Pyong Chol, one of Kim's closest associates who is considered a central figure in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, was standing in the third row, not in the front row along with Kim. This suggests Ri was dismissed from the Politburo's powerful five-men Presidium leadership body. North Korean state media said recently that some unidentified top officials including a Presidium member had been dismissed.
Some experts say Kim aimed to shift public dissatisfaction over economic difficulties to those officials.
The NIS also told lawmakers that Kim doesn't appear to have any health problem despite his recent weight loss. It said it has seen no intelligence that hospitals in charge of Kim's health have imported medicines, and that Kim has recently presided over meetings for several hours and walked normally.
Recent North Korean photos show Kim looking much thinner, sparking speculation that he might have health issues. The NIS said it believes Kim went on a diet to improve his health and lost 10-20 kilograms (22-44 pounds) between February and June. (AP)
(责任编辑:资讯)
推荐文章
-
Trump trials: Jack Smith is reportedly reconsidering his strategy.
Donald Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts in the New York hush money case—but there’s a le ...[详细] -
近日,中国银保监会印发《商业银行和理财公司个人养老金业务管理暂行办法》,发布首批开办个人养老金业务的机构名单,中国工商银行是首批获得个人养老金业务资格的商业银行之一。11月25日,工商银行青岛市分行作 ...[详细]
-
中国山东网-感知山东9月30日讯 2021年9月30日上午,湛山街道秀湛路社区开展了“剪纸迎国庆”新时代文明实践主题剪纸活动,将传统民俗文化与文明实践有机融合,传播文明风尚,共 ...[详细]
-
銆€銆€鏈€鏂版暟鎹粺璁℃樉绀猴紝鎴嚦澶у勾鍒濆叚锛?鏈?鏃ワ級21:16锛岃檸骞存槬鑺傛。涓浗鐢靛奖绁ㄦ埧宸茶秴60浜垮厓銆侟/p> ...[详细]
-
Trump trials: Jack Smith is reportedly reconsidering his strategy.
Donald Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts in the New York hush money case—but there’s a le ...[详细] -
山东省地矿局四院顺利承担崂山风景区2022年地质灾害治理工程(三期)设计项目
中国山东网-感知山东讯 11月30日,山东省地矿局四院顺利承担了“崂山风景区2022年地质灾害治理工程(三期)设计项目”。该项设计将结合各项调查资料和测量数据,在充分考虑治理区 ...[详细] -
浜ら€氶摱琛岄潚宀涘垎琛屼笌娴蜂俊闆嗗洟绛捐鍏ㄩ潰鎴樼暐鍚堜綔鍗忚
銆€銆€涓浗灞变笢缃?mdash;鎰熺煡灞变笢2鏈?4鏃ヨ2鏈?3鏃ワ紝浜ら€氶摱琛岄潚宀涘垎琛屼笌娴蜂俊闆嗗洟杩涜浜嗗叏闈㈡垬鐣ュ悎浣滃崗璁殑绛剧害娲诲姩銆傛娆$绾︽槸鍦ㄦ繁鍏ヨ疮褰昏惤 ...[详细] -
鏍′紒鑱斿悎鑲蹭汉锛岄潚宀涚鎶€澶у棣栨湡鍗撹秺宸ョ▼甯堢彮寮€鐝璤涓浗灞变笢缃慱闈掑矝
銆€銆€浠庤繘鏍¤捣锛屽鐢熸棦鏄潚宀涚鎶€澶у鐨勭爺绌剁敓锛屽張鏄紒涓氱殑涓€鍚嶅憳宸?鍦ㄤ紶缁熸牎浼?ldquo;鍙屽甯?rdquo;鐨勫熀纭€涓婏紝缁欏鐢熼厤澶囧甯堝姪鐞嗭紝璁╀紒 ...[详细] -
Bernie Sanders’ DNC speech sounded like everyone else’s. That’s astonishing.
So far, the Democratic National Convention has been filled with era-marking oratory. The first night ...[详细] -
中国山东网讯通讯员 王永琪) 近日,中建科工山东公司团总支在毛公山景区举行了青年突击队授旗仪式。并在仪式后山东公司团总支组织授旗青年一起观看了纪念抗美援朝战争电影《长津湖》。当天正值红军长征胜利85周 ...[详细]
热点阅读
随机内容
- Apple Watch bands: 5 favorites to consider as Apple Watch 10 looms
- 青岛市南文化惠民:楼宇大厅也能秒变音乐现场 “青文驿”走进海航万邦
- 市南区“N+书坊”阅读主题活动——首期“光影市南”影视分享会在中国电影院举办
- 鈥滃缓璁句汉姘戞弧鎰忛摱琛屸€濈郴鍒楁姤閬撯€斺€旈潚宀涘伐琛岋細鏂版槬鏈嶅姟鏈夋俯搴 璐d换瀹堟姢瀹夊績骞確涓浗灞变笢缃慱闈掑矝
- 20 Places to Eat Dumplings and Noodles for Lunar New Year
- 闈掑矝甯傞涓€滀笓绮剧壒鏂扳€濅紒涓氫笓涓氭湇鍔″熀鍦版彮鐗屽惎鐢╛涓浗灞变笢缃慱闈掑矝
- 灞变笢绉诲姩闈掑矝鍒嗗叕鍙革細鐢ㄧЩ鍔ㄧ湅瀹讹紝鎶婂甯﹀湪韬竟锛岃鐖遍殢鏃堕櫔浼达紒