North Korean leader Kim admits troubled medical system amid virus fears

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has acknowledged that his
country lacks modern medical facilities and called for urgent improvements. The
state media said that Kim’s comments were made during a ceremony on Tuesday
marking the start of construction on a new hospital.

Experts say a coronavirus epidemic in the North Korea could
be devastating due to its lack of medical supplies and outdated health care
infrastructure. 

North Korea has engaged in an intense campaign to guard against
the new virus, though it has steadfastly maintained that no one has been
sickened, a claim many foreign experts doubt.

North Korea banned foreign tourists, delayed the school year
and quarantined hundreds of foreigners and thousands of locals to avoid the
virus that has spread worldwide.

About 290 foreigners who
were quarantined in North Korea have been released and were flown to
Vladivostok, Russia, on a special North Korean flight.