North Korean leader Kim Jong-un placed Kaesong city near the border with South Korea under total lockdown after a person was found with suspected COVID-19 symptoms, saying “the vicious virus” may have entered the country, state media reported Sunday.

If the person is officially declared a coronavirus patient, he or she would be North Korea's first confirmed case. The North has steadfastly said it has had no cases of the virus, a claim questioned by outside experts. Kim had even hailed the country's 'shining success in handling COVID-19, by keeping it at bay, on July 3.