Seoul, South Korea (CNN) – North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has declared a state of emergency and a lockdown in a border city after a person suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus returned from South Korea at a time when the country claims to have zero cases. The North Korean leader said he took the “preemptive measure” of placing Kaesong, a city with a population of around 200,000, on lockdown after the person was found in the city on July 24. State media reported that the person illegally crossed the fortified border and had symptoms, though test results showed up inconclusive.
(Fact Check: North Korea claims to have zero cases of COVID-19, but this lockdown indicates a suspected case in Kaesong.)
(Fact Check: This report comes amid speculation about the severity of the pandemic in North Korea due to its secretive nature.)
