N. Korea has apparently lifted mask mandate

This composite photo, taken from the North's Korean Central TV footage, shows people wearing face masks at an indoor event, June 30 and people without face masks in an auditorium, July 4. Yonhap

North Korea, which had maintained its rigid COVID-19 restrictions long after most countries eased pandemic measures, appears to have lifted its mask mandate this month, state media footage and photos showed Tuesday.

News footage that aired on the North's Korean Central TV on Monday showed hundreds of young people seated close to one another without face masks at a theater in North Hamgyong Province.

Photos released by the Rodong Sinmum, the North's main newspaper, on Tuesday, showed officials at a publishing bureau in the same North Korean province without face masks.

Similar photos taken at various venues also showed people not wearing face masks, with the exception of farmers spraying pesticides and medical workers at a hospital.

This has led to the view that North Korea, which had maintained its border lockdown and strict antivirus measures despite deepening economic hardships, may have finally lifted its mask mandate.

U.S. broadcaster Radio Free Asia quoted sources in the North Korean province of North Pyongan as saying that authorities ordered residents to take off their masks this month.

But it remains uncertain whether the change is here to stay. The U.S. media outlet reported that authorities said it is a temporary measure aimed at preventing skin and eye diseases that could occur while wearing face masks in the summer. (Yonhap)