North Koreans Urged to Wear Masks Despite ‘Victory’ Claim Over COVID-19

People watch a TV screen showing a news program reporting with file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 9, 2022. Lee Jin-man/AP Photo

The North Korean regime reportedly reinstated its mask mandate less than a month after lifting it and declaring “victory” over the COVID-19 outbreak, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported Monday.

North Korea lifted its mask mandate and social distancing measures on Aug. 10. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended the emergency order, saying that the public health crisis was over.