To fight COVID-19, North Korea Orders to Shoot anyone Who Approach Border

North Korea has ordered military units and police to shoot on sight anyone in the country who goes within one kilometre (0.6 miles) of the Sino-Korean border, the latest of Pyongyang’s draconian measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Free Asia reported.

A resident of North Hamgyong province, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told RFA’s Korean Service that he learned of the new border policy less than a day before it took effect at midnight local time Thursday.

“Police in the city of Hoeryong issued an emergency notice from the Ministry of Social Security, saying they would kill anyone within a kilometer of the North Korea-China border regardless of their reason for being there,” the source said.

The emergency declaration “will be in effect along the entire North Korea-China border until the coronavirus pandemic ends,” said the source, adding that authorities emphasized that they were trying to prevent the transmission of coronavirus through contact with people from China.

Source: Radio Free Asia