September 27, 2023
Border Controls

North Korean border to stay shut until coronavirus cure available, official says

DPRK also extends winter vacation for students as quarantine measures taken across the country

North Korea will keep its borders closed until a means to diagnose and cure the novel coronavirus is "completely" developed, the country's Vice Minister of Public Health said in an interview with an influential pro-North Korean media outlet published on Thursday.

The comments, made by Kim Hyong Hun in a video interview with Choson Sinbo, detailed ongoing quarantine measures being taken in the country, while confirming that the DPRK will maintain an effective ban on travel until a cure for the virus -- known officially as COVID-19 -- is found.