In this March 18 file photo, employees spray disinfectant as part of preventative measures against COVID-19 at the Pyongyang Children's Department Store in Pyongyang. AFP-Yonhap

President Yoon offers to provide Pyongyang with COVID-19 vaccines

By Nam Hyun-woo

South Korea and the United States face a watershed moment in their policies toward North Korea, as the reclusive regime has made it public that it is experiencing an "explosive" outbreak of COVID-19.

According to the North's Korean Central News Agency, Friday, the country has reported six deaths from the pandemic, with one of them testing positive for the Omicron variant. It added that symptoms of fever were newly reported among more than 18,000 people on the day alone.

"A fever whose cause couldn't be identified explosively spread nationwide from late April and more than 350,000 people got fever in a short span of time," the agency reported. "And at least 162,200 out of them were healed completely."

The report came just a day after the regime for the first time acknowledged the coronavirus outbreak, and its leader Kim Jong-un declared a shift to an emergency antivirus system. Until then, the North had been flatly denying any COVID-19 cases in the country.

Pyongyang did not seek assistance from the outside world, as the number of deaths in the country remains at a relatively low level, but experts say leader Kim may consider requesting coronavirus aid packages, if the pandemic spreads explosively in North Korea.

"So far, the North has reported one Omicron-related death, it is expected that the North will not accept aid from the outside world, especially the Western world, for a while," said Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute.

"However, if the number of Omicron deaths soar, the North will have no option but to request China's assistance first, and then they may consider the Western world's aid if the situation gets out of control for the regime."

If the North begins receiving vaccines, treatments and other supplies required for containing the pandemic, many experts said it will be a chance for Seoul and Washington to restart talks with Pyongyang and alleviate the current tensions that the regime is creating with its missile and nuclear threats.