North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a commentary on 26 February titled "The United States must not undermine the foundation of international peace and stability", ascribing the armed conflict to US "high-handedness and arbitrariness," and accusing Washington of pursuing "military supremacy" in disregard of Russian security concerns. In a post on the foreign ministry website, Ri Ji-song, a researcher at the Society for International Politics Study, made the remarks—the North's first public mention of the conflict following Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier that week. "The root cause of the Ukrainian crisis also lies in the high-handedness and arbitrariness of the U.S. which has held on solely to the unilateral sanction and pressure while pursuing only global hegemony and military supremacy in disregard of the legitimate demand of Russia for its security," Ri wrote. The Yonhap News Agency quoted a North Korean studies professor at Ewha University in Seoul as calling the post a "cautious" official response from Pyongyang, since it was released in the name of an individual.[1]
March
25 March – North Korea tested its longest-range ICBM.[2]
May
12 May
COVID-19 pandemic – Pyongyang declared a "severe national emergency", after confirmed its first case of COVID-19. Kim Jong-un and the North Korean government orders all cities and counties throughout the country into a nationwide lockdown of North Korea, isolating all working, production and residential units, as the whole towns and cities along with the streets of the capital Pyongyang were all locked down, closing the borders of North Korea to all foreign nations including foreign trade and outsiders. North Korean citizens are forced to stay in their homes in every provinces, many North Koreans are banned from leaving the country or attempt to go travel abroad for all foreign countries, all foreign visitors and journalists are strictly forbidden to enter the country, rail transports and airports are suspended. North Korea was entirely closed. Anyone who is caught violating quarantine measures will face harsh punishments by imprisonment, executions or sentenced to hard labor in prison camps if they tried to leave their homes or attempt to escape the Hermit Kingdom was always punishable by facing execution or sent to labor camps after the North Korean government crackdown on COVID rule breakers before and after they were arrested by the secret police, the Ministry of State Security. only China a year were allowed to enter North Korea for trading and banking purposes.[3]
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