2022 in North Korea

← 2021 2020 2019 2022 in North Korea → 2023 2024 2025
Centuries:	20th 21st
Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2022 Years in North Korea Timeline of Korean history 2022 in South Korea

The following is a list of events from the year 2022 in North Korea.

Incumbents

Photo	Position	Name
	General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea	Kim Jong-un
	Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly	Choe Ryong-hae
	Premier of North Korea	Kim Tok-hun

Events

February

26 February – North Korea's Foreign Ministry blames the U.S. for the Ukraine conflict, citing its pursuit of military supremacy while ignoring Russia's security. Researcher Ri Ji-song authors the statement, Pyongyang's first public response.^[1]

March

• 25 March – North Korea tested its longest-range ICBM.^[2]

May

• 12 May
  • COVID-19 pandemic – Pyongyang declares a "severe national emergency" after its first confirmed case of COVID-19, imposing a nationwide lockdown and closing borders. Limited trade with China continues.^[3]
  • Sunan district of Pyongyang fired three short-range missiles east of the Korean peninsula, two days after Yoon Suk-yeol took office as President of South Korea.^[4]
• 13 May – State media confirmed six deaths and 350,000 new cases of COVID-19.^[5]

Deaths

• 27 January – Ri Yong-mu, North Korean senior official who was a member of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea, vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea and vice-marshal of the Korean People's Army (b. 1925)^[6]
• 13 May – Yang Hyong-sop, 4th Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (b. 1925).
• 19 May – Hyon Chol Hae, military officer and former member of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea (b. 1934)^[7]
• 27 July – Pak To Chun, former Member of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea (b. 1944).^[8]
• 19 September – Pak Yong-il, Vice-Chairman of the standing committee of the SPA (b. 1966)^[9]

References

1. "N. Korea blames U.S.' 'high-handedness and arbitrariness' for Ukraine crisis". Yonhap News Agency. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
2. "North Korea claims successful launch of 'monster missile'". Financial Times. 25 March 2022.
3. "North Korea admits to Covid outbreak for first time and declares 'severe national emergency'". The Guardian. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
4. Kim, Eunice (May 12, 2022). "North Korea Greets South Korea's New President with Trio of Ballistic Missiles". VOA. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
5. Bae, Gawon; Regan, Helen (13 May 2022). "North Korea announces first Covid deaths amid 'explosive' outbreak". CNN. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
6. "Ri Yong Mu Passes Away". Korean Central News Agency – via KCNA Watch.
7. Kim, Hyung-jin (May 22, 2022). "Kim, other N. Koreans attend large funeral amid COVID worry". Associated Press. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
8. "To-Chun PAK". OpenSanctions.org. 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2026-07-27.
9. "Newstream". KCNA Watch. Retrieved 2022-09-20.