North Korea claimed Friday that the Covid-19 epidemic began in people who came into contact with balloons from South Korea. This was a highly doubtable claim, which appeared to be an attempt by its neighbor to hold it responsible for increasing tensions about its nuclear program.
For years, activists have flown balloons over the border to distribute propaganda leaflets that are critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea has expressed anger at both the activists and South Korea’s leadership for failing to stop them.
According to global health authorities, the coronavirus spreads by close contact with people who inhale small particles of airborne dust. It’s more common in enclosed spaces that are poorly ventilated than in open areas. The Unification Ministry of South Korea said that there is no risk that South Korean balloons could have spread the virus to North Korea.
The tensions between the Koreas persist amid a prolonged stalemate among U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions in exchange for political and economic benefits. Recent statements by the U.S. and South Korean officials suggest that North Korea is now ready to conduct its first nuclear test since 2005, despite its string of weapon tests this year.
According to state media, the epidemic prevention center in North Korea had discovered infection clusters near Ipho’s southeastern border with South Korea. Some Ipho residents who were suffering from fever traveled to Pyongyang. According to the center, an 18-year old soldier and a 5-year-old kindergartener came into contact with “alien objects” in the town in April. They later tested positive for the micron variant.
The epidemic prevention center issued “an emergency instruction” to officials, directing them to “vigilantly deal with alien objects coming by wind and other weather phenomena and balloons along the inter-Korean frontier and trace their source to the last.” It stressed that any person locating “alien objects” should notify authorities immediately to ensure they are removed.
Reports did not identify the “alien items”. However, blaming the flown items is likely to be a way for the government to reduce public outrage over its handling of the pandemic and to reiterate its objections to the ballooning activities by defectors from North Korea and activists in South Korea.
After South Korea’s liberal government passed a law making leafletting illegal, most leafletting campaigns were stopped. In fact, there were no public balloon attempts in April.
After halting them for one year, an activist is being tried for past activities. He flew propaganda leaflets in balloons across the border in April. Park Sang-hak flew balloons twice in June and switched the cargo to Covid-19 painkillers, masks, and other relief items.
Cha Duck Chul, a deputy spokesperson at South’s Unification Ministry told reporters that police are still investigating leafleting activity by the activist.
Cha stated that infection via contact with virus-like particles on surfaces of materials is almost impossible.
North Korea claimed that the virus could be spread by falling snow and migratory birds in its earlier dubious statements about Covid-19. The restrictions imposed by the North Korean government on pandemics included strict bans on seawater entry.
Analyst Cheong Seong Chang at South Korea’s Sejong Institute stated that North Korea believes the coronavirus was created from leaflets, U.S. Dollars or other materials transported across the border by balloons.
The leafletting campaign is aimed at destroying Kim’s authoritarian rule and a population with limited access to information, which North Korea finds revolting. North Korea fired on propaganda balloons that were flying towards its territory in 2014 and South Korea responded, but there were no casualties.
The latest North Korean announcement about the virus contradicts outside views. It spread quickly after North Korea temporarily reopened its northern border to China in January. In April, it surged again following a large-scale military parade in Pyongyang. Kim is accused of being the main cause according to some outside experts. He organized the events in order to increase public loyalty to his ruling Kim family despite economic hardships.
