Kim Jong-Un had high fever for days, says sister

By Our Special Correspondent

In a stunning speech before thousands of North Koreans, leader Kim Jong UN’s sister said he had been suffering from a fever while guiding the country to victory over the corona virus. She blamed rival South Korea for the outbreak and "brutal" retaliation.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful official in charge of inter-Korean relations, praised his brother's leadership in a speech at a national conference on Wednesday, where he gleefully described the country's victory over the virus as a "magnificent miracle" around the world public health

North Korea's statements about its spread are widely believed to be manipulated to help Kim Jong- UN maintain absolute power. But experts worry that Vijaya's announcement signals his intention to move on to other priorities and that his sister's comments are provocative, possibly involving nuclear or missile tests or border skirmishes.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said on Thursday that Kim Jong UN has declared victory over Covid-19 and ordered the easing of containment measures three months after the country first detected the outbreak.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said on Thursday that Kim Jong UN has claimed victory over Covid-19 and ordered the easing of containment measures three months after the country first detected the outbreak.

North Korea first suggested in July that its COVID-19 outbreak began in people who came into contact with items carried by balloons launched from South Korea — a questionable claim that appears to be an attempt to blame its rival.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, expressed deep regret over North Korea's "extremely disrespectful and threatening comments" based on "ridiculous claims".

A senior official in South Korea's presidential office, who spoke on condition of anonymity at a background briefing, said Seoul was preparing for several North Korean provocations, including the test detonation of a nuclear device.

Since North Korea identified its corona virus outbreak in May, about 4.8 million "fever cases" among its population of 26 million have been reported, but only a fraction of those have been identified as COVID-19. The country, which lacks test kits and other public health tools, said the outbreak had slowed for weeks and that only 74 people had died.