NORTH Korea has declared a state of emergency after a person suspected of having coronavirus crossed the border from South Korea.

Kim Jong-un called an emergencymeeting after the person suspected of having Covid-19 illegally crossed the border earlier this month, state media said on Sunday.

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Kim's government has boasted throughout the crisis that North Korea is coronavirus-free – one of the only countries in the world to record zero cases.

It would be the first case officially acknowledged by North Korean authorities – despite ongoing rumours that coronavirus is rife within the regime's borders.

North Korea's leader declared a state of emergency and imposed a lockdown on the border city of Kaesong.

State media reported Kim called it a "critical situation in which the vicious virus could be said to have entered the country".

The regime adopted the "'maximum emergency system and issued a top-class alert" to prevent a "deadly and destructive disaster".

It was claimed a person who defected to South Korea three years ago returned across the border that divides the two nations.

The individual was then found to have symptoms consistent with Covid-19 and was quarantined, with North Korean authorities now tracing anyone they had contact with.

KCNA reported an "uncertain result was made from several medical check-ups of the secretion of that person's upper respiratory organ and blood".

Kaesong has been placed under a "strict quarantine" with Kim describing it as "totally blocked" from the outside world.

North Korea was one of the first countries to seal its borders as it shutdown on January 30 while the coronavirus began to take hold in China.

North Korea has reportedly introduced draconian measures to stop the coronavirus as it fears being drawn into the pandemic.

Pyongyang has said anyone caught not wearing a face mask will be subjected to three months hard labour.

Kim has only been seen in public a handful of times in 2020 amid rumours of his failing health.

However, speculation has said the despot may simply being hunkering down to reduce the risk of himself catching coroanvirus.

Rumours of Kim's death ran wild earlier this year, but after he reemerged one theory claimed he had gone into hiding after members of his inner circle had suspected Covid-19.

Kim has hailed North Korea's efforts to tackle coronavirus as a "shining success" as state media described the fight against the virus as a "matter of national existence".

Experts however have cast doubt on whether it is possible that North Korea – which shares a large land border with China – could have possibly avoid the virus

More to follow…

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