N. Korea sees suspected COVID-19 cases after victory claim

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it found four new fever cases in its border region with China that may have been caused by coronavirus infections, two weeks after leader Kim Jong Un declared a widely disputed victory over COVID-19. North Korean state media said Thursday that health workers were conducting genetic tests on the samples taken from four people in Ryanggang province who exhibited fevers to confirm whether the symptoms were caused by the “malignant epidemic.” North Korea often uses that term, along with “malignant virus,” to describe COVID-19 and the coronavirus. Authorities immediately locked down the areas where the fever cases emerged and will maintain tight restrictions until health workers determine the cause of the illness.