North Korea reports ‘grave incident’ related to COVID-19

North Korea’s leader says a “grave incident” related to COVID-19 is putting the safety of its citizens at risk.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly lashed out at officials during a politburo meeting of the Workers’ Party on Tuesday, South Korean-based news agency Yonhap reported, citing North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim accused the officials of neglecting their duties, and causing a “grave incident” that poses a “huge crisis” for the nation. It’s unclear what the incident was.

“By neglecting important decisions of the party in its national emergency antivirus fight in preparations for a global health crisis, officials in charge have caused a grave incident that poses a huge crisis to the safety of the nation and its people,” KCNA reported, according to Yonhap.

According to Bloomberg News, Kim said that officials failed to execute important decisions about organizational, scientific and technological measures amid demand for prolonged national quarantine efforts.

The full extent of the COVID-19 pandemic on North Korea is still unclear. North Korea has not reported any coronavirus cases or deaths since the pandemic began, according to data from the World Health Organization.