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| A member (L) of the North Korean military's medical section hands medicine to a citizen (R) at a pharmacy in Pyongyang on May 18, 2022, amid growing fears over the spread of COVID-19 infections. (File photo by=Kyodo) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] NIIGATA: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi suggested Sunday that the government may need to consider assisting North Korea as it apparently struggles with the outbreak of the coronavirus. "We have no diplomatic relations with that country, but it does not mean that we should leave it alone," Hayashi said during a lecture in the city of Niigata, Kyodo reported.
North Korea earlier this month confirmed its first COVID-19 case since the pandemic started more than two years ago. North Korea has not given information on how many people have tested positive for the virus, as it is believed to have a limited number of COVID-19 testing kits. The origin of the fever spreading around the country has not been identified. On how to deal with the suspected COVID-19 outbreak in North Korea, Hayashi presented a view that a new mutant strain could spread to the world if the issue is left unresolved.
His statement about Japan's preparedness to help North Korea came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden and new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in a joint statement, voiced concern over the suspected COVID-19 outbreak. On Sunday, the country of 25 million reported around 186,000 new fever cases, bringing the total number since late April to over 2.64 million.
