Kim Jong Un says no coronavirus cases in North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the military parade on Saturday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the audience at a military parade Saturday that he was grateful “not a single person” in the North had contracted the coronavirus that has swept the world since emerging in neighbouring China.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reacts as he attends a parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. (KCNA via REUTERS)

Pyongyang closed its borders in January to try to protect itself from the disease and regularly said it had no cases, but state media had shied away from such explicit statements in recent months, instead stressing the importance of prevention efforts.