North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered the lifting of the toughest containment measures to fight the pandemic, saying his country has “beaten” COVID-19 and blaming South Korea for spreading the virus, an accusation Seoul has described as unimaginable. and non-existent.

Speaking at a meeting with doctors and scientists, Kim Jong-un called the “victory” over the “fever”, as COVID-19 is called in his country, “a historic event that once again shows the world the greatness of our state, the indomitable resilience of our people and our national customs that we are proud of.”

North Korea has closed its borders since January 2020, shortly after the outbreak of COVID-19 in neighboring China, and has long boasted that it has no victims of the disease, despite the lack of diagnostic tests and vaccines. However, in May last year, he admitted that he was struck by a “fever”, and along the way said that 4.77 million people showed symptoms of the disease. No new cases have been reported since July 29.

Pyongyang blames South Korea for the pandemic and threatens “deadly retaliation”.

The North Korean leader’s meeting with scientists was also attended by his sister Kim Jo-young, who is playing an increasingly important role. In her speech, she hinted for the first time that her brother had also contracted COVID-19.

“Although he was seriously ill with a high fever, he could not sit down and rest for a moment thinking about people in need of care until the war against the pandemic was over,” Kim said. State television, which covered the ceremony, showed several officials wiping away tears.

In the same speech, Kim Jo Yeon stated that COVID-19 was spread in her country by South Korean propaganda leaflets, which she threatened with “deadly countermeasures.” The paradoxical mention concerns the leaflets of North Korean dissidents who have taken refuge in a neighboring country. South Korea’s unification ministry deplored Pyongyang’s “baseless statements” and the “rude and threatening messages” that accompanied them.