North Korea hit by series of mysterious events including vanishing citizens, here's what we know
More under this adNorth Korea has been the subject of a cold spell this period which, together with famine, has led people to go missing.
According to the BBC, North Korean authorities have warned of extreme weather conditions due to a cold wave sweeping the country. In the northern parts of the country, temperatures have been reaching -30C.
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People go missing mysteriously
The cold weather has been taking place since at least December and it is coinciding with an incredibly difficult period for North Koreans who are experiencing massive food shortages.
More under this adMore under this adDue to these extreme conditions, beggar children are turning up either frozen or starved to death in crowded public places, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports.
According to the same report the country’s famine levels are reportedly at their highest since the 1990 food crisis that wiped out 10% of North Korea's population.
More under this adMore under this adThe dire situation has not only been affecting the homeless, as even employed people cannot afford the high food prices and are turning to desperate measures to secure food.
Reportedly, many people have been reported missing after wandering out into the wild to find food and not returning.
Kim Jong-un’s regime has been considering these people as criminals who are wanting to flee across the border to China. The authorities have issued wanted lists which are sent to the border regions first.
More under this adMore under this adOne official who wanted to remain anonymous told RFA that people who are on these lists have actually gone into the wild to find food:
However, residents who see the wanted list know that these are just people who go to remote areas to avoid starving to death.More under this adMore under this ad
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Capital on lockdown
Meanwhile, reports have emerged about the North Korean capital Pyongyang which has gone into a five-day lockdown, The Guardian reports.
More under this adMore under this adThe quarantine is due to a mystery respiratory illness,andthe official announcement falls short of naming Covid-19 as a cause.
North Korea first made public a coronavirus outbreak in 2022 and then declared victory by August.
Apparently, the country was not able to conduct widespread testing so the Kim regime never revealed any data about how much of the population has had the virus or how many have perished.
More under this adMore under this adAccording to NK News,residents of Pyongyang have been ordered to remain indoors until the end of Sunday and perform temperature checks multiple times each day, The Guardian reports.
Sources used:
-BBC: ‘North Korea issues 'extreme cold' weather alert
-TheGuardian: ‘North Korea locks down capital Pyongyang over respiratory illness’
-RadioFreeAsia: ‘More missing North Koreans amid colder weather and food shortages’