**North Korea's COVID-19 Claims Exposed: A Grim Reality of Lies and Neglect**

**A recent investigation by two U.S. research organizations indicates that North Korea's claim of effectively combating COVID-19 is a facade, hiding severe outbreaks and government negligence that led to widespread suffering.**

North Korea has been claiming an extraordinary feat in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, asserting that it lost only 74 lives and managed to navigate the health crisis without vaccines. However, a disconcerting report released by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies along with the George W. Bush Institute paints a much grimmer picture. The report, grounded in unfortunate interviews with a hundred individuals from within the isolated nation, alleges that the government significantly understated the impact of the virus, leading to many avoidable deaths.

According to the investigation, ordinary life in North Korea was further hampered as the regime not only denied the virus's spread but also rejected external health assistance, worsening the nation’s already dire conditions. Pyongyang's strict control over its citizens added to the chaos, resulting in a public health disaster that has now come to light.

The report's findings reveal widespread neglect by authorities, with citizens enduring severe healthcare deficiencies. The authors noted that there was an alarming scarcity of vaccines and medical supplies even though such resources had been available worldwide for some time. Alarmingly, nearly 90 of those interviewed reported never being tested for the virus, while close to 40 stated they had not received any vaccinations throughout the pandemic. An overwhelming 92 people mentioned they believed they or someone they knew had contracted the virus without government acknowledgment or assistance.

Local health officials faced intense pressure to align their reporting with the government's narrative of no infections, leading to the misrepresentation of COVID-19 deaths and diagnoses. The fear of punishment contributed to suppressing genuine illness reports, as citizens were left without help but threatened with detention or strict lockdowns. Such measures only exacerbated ongoing food shortages, further emphasizing the human cost of the regime's flawed pandemic response.

This chilling report serves as a critical reminder of the realities facing North Koreans amid an unprecedented public health crisis, challenging the country's claims of a miraculous pandemic response.