Kim Jong-un has criticized North Korea's pandemic response and ordered the army to help deliver medicine. State media reported on Monday after the country reported 50 deaths since the first mention of the Covid-19 outbreak.

More than one million people have contracted what Pyongyang refers to as "fever," state media reported, despite Kim's efforts to slow the spread of sickness among the unvaccinated population by ordering national lockdowns.

After denying for two years that North Korea had any cases of Covid-19, officials revealed this week that a Covid outbreak had occurred in the country.

Indicative of the severity of the problem, Kim "strongly criticized" healthcare officials for their reaction to epidemic prevention, notably the failure to maintain pharmacies open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to administer medication.

He ordered the army to "immediately stabilize the supply of medicines in Pyongyang," where Omicron was identified in North Korea's first officially reported cases of Covid-19 last week.

Kim has placed himself at the forefront of North Korea's sickness response, presiding over near-daily emergency politburo sessions on the outbreak, which he claims generates "great unrest" in the country.

According to state media KCNA, the inability to adequately distribute medicine was because "officials of the Cabinet and public health sector in charge of the supply have not rolled up their sleeves, not properly recognizing the current crisis."

Kim personally inspected pharmacies and "strongly criticized the Cabinet and public health sector for their irresponsible work ethic," according to KCNA.

According to experts, North Korea has one of the poorest healthcare systems in the world, with poorly equipped hospitals, few intensive care units, and no Covid treatment medications or mass testing capabilities.

Cheong Seong-Jang, a researcher at the Sejong Institute, told AFP, "During a visit to a pharmacy, Kim Jong-un witnessed firsthand the lack of medicines in North Korea." "He may have guessed correctly, but the situation was likely direr than he anticipated."

As of 15 May, KCNA reported 50 deaths, 1,213,550 cases of "fever," and over half a million individuals obtaining medical care.

Since the pandemic's beginning, North Korea had maintained a strict coronavirus blockade, but with major Omicron outbreaks in neighboring nations, specialists felt it was inevitable that Covid would get in.

Professor of North Korean Studies at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, Yang Moo-jin, cited Kim's public criticism to hint that the situation on the ground is dire. He stated, "He is highlighting the overall inadequacy of the quarantine system."

According to KCNA, Kim has already stated that the North will "actively learn" from China's pandemic management policy.

China, the only major economy in the world still adhering to a zero-Covid policy, is facing repeated Omicron outbreaks with lockdowns in certain major cities, including Shanghai's financial capital, causing growing public ire.

North Korea has previously declined Covid vaccines from China and the World Health Organization's Covax program. Still, since the epidemic was reported, both Beijing and Seoul have made new offers of assistance.

Yang stated that North Korea would likely require foreign assistance to survive the enormous Omicron surge.

"If China's aid is insufficient to combat the outbreak, North Korea will ultimately turn to the South, the United States, or international organizations," he warned.

Later this week, US Vice President Joe Biden will travel to South Korea to focus on Pyongyang's weapons development and the Covid-19 outbreak.