SEOUL -- Abandoning past boasts of no COVID-19 cases, North Korea reported Friday that up to 187,800 people are "being isolated and treated," spurring speculation of a severe outbreak and a desire for international assistance.
"A fever whose cause couldn't be identified explosively spread nationwide from late April" to affect more than 350,000 people, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday in a story acknowledging "the nationwide spread of COVID-19." At least 162,200 of them have fully recovered, KCNA said.
