Updated at 13:30 KST on Aug. 14 to include flooding casualty numbers provided by the IFRC.

North Korea has lifted the lockdown of Kaesong City, state media reported on Aug. 14, around 20 days after being implemented over fears of a COVID-19 outbreak. The decision came in a Political Bureau meeting led by Kim Jong Un the previous day, where flooding relief efforts were also discussed.

The Politburo meeting also followed up on issues discussed in previous meetings over the performance of top officials, with the country’s Cabinet Premier replaced and a previously demoted official returning to the fold.

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