NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

The United Nations said that supporting access for COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility and the roll-out of vaccination in North Korea is a UN priority for this year to protect the most vulnerable populations. In an interview with Voice of America, the UN spokesperson's office also said that its colleagues at the World Health Organization and UNICEF have been working with North Korea’s Ministry of Public Health to develop a national vaccine roll-out plan and other guidelines and monitoring tools. The North was assigned to receive 1.99 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX Facility and the first batch of 1.7 million was scheduled to arrive last month, but that has been delayed.
The Cultural Heritage Administration will relocate 49 mortuary tablets of Joseon Dynasty kings and queens currently enshrined at Jongmyo Shrine temporarily to Changdeok-gung Palace. This is because Jongmyo, a UNESCO world heritage site, will undergo repairs. The transfer ceremony will take place Saturday morning behind closed doors. The administration explained that despite the event, the shrine and palace will both operate as normal and be open to the public. A safety inspection in 2015 confirmed facility damage and water leaks at Jongmyo’s main hall called Jeongjeon. Repair work began last year and when it’s completed next year, the tablets will return to their original location.