 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un chastised a top ruling party officials for failures in anti-epidemic work. He said their inactions led to an unspecified crisis and put the safety of the country and people at risk. Kim had called the meeting of the Workers' Party of Korea Politburo to address some party executives' neglect of duty, including failing to implement important long-term measures to fight the pandemic. North Korea has not officially confirmed any COVID-19 cases, but South Korea and U.S. officials question this claim.