North Korean veterans of the Korean War will gather in Pyongyang this week for the Sixth National Conference of War Veterans, state media reported on Wednesday. The event is one of several large gatherings to take place since nationwide COVID-19 prevention measures were implemented in late January.

Since elderly citizens are most at risk of succumbing to the virus, the upcoming veterans event could be a sign of the North Korean government’s confidence amid state media claims that the country has zero COVID-19 infections.

Details about the event have not yet been released, but past years have seen groups of veterans attend artistic performances and banquets, as well as visit the war museum and memorials in addition to a main conference.

Veterans typically arrive in Pyongyang by plane and train just prior to July 27, which marks the end of the Korean War in 1953. This year’s conference falls on the 67th anniversary of the armistice agreement.

The event has only taken place five times since 1993, with four of the previous conferences held under Kim Jong Un: the fifth in July 2018, the fourth in 2015, the third in 2013, and the second in 2012. Kim did not always attend the conferences, but he sometimes took part in photo sessions with veterans. In 2015, Kim made a speech during the event, offering his “noblest respects” to attendees who fought in the Korean War.

North Korea has cancelled many similar, large-scale events in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the country’s strict lockdown procedures. 

But some events have still gone ahead, such as the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) in April, which saw hundreds of members of the rubber-stamp legislature reportedly traveling to Pyongyang and gathering in an auditorium, with no apparent social distancing measures in place.

However, peripheral events such as performances and Pyongyang tours were not held as in previous years, likely due to COVID-19 policies.

Citizens were also seen gathering at the statues of the country’s former leaders in cities nationwide earlier this month, appearing to all wear masks in state media images, but again not social distancing.

North Korean state TV has shown smaller political events being held, as well, though with social distancing measures evident — attendees were standing or sitting one space apart.

Kim Jong Un, meanwhile, has attended a series of events and meetings with top officials in recent months, and no consistent social distancing or mask-wearing policies appeared to be present. The North Korean leader has yet to don a mask himself.

On Tuesday, a World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Pyongyang echoed state media reports in saying that public gatherings are still banned and that mask-wearing is mandatory for all citizens. 

The WHO also confirmed reports that schools were once again closed just a month into the new term — another possible sign of how seriously officials are taking virus prevention efforts.

The upcoming National Conference of War Veterans, which is likely to take place on or around July 27, could mark the largest gathering since Kim Jong Un warned during a recent Politburo meeting that failure to comply with COVID-19 prevention measures would result in “an unimaginable and unrecoverable fatal crisis.”

Outside experts and even defectors have expressed doubt that North Korea is really free of the virus, but no cases have been confirmed through comparatively limited public testing and reporting. 

Meanwhile, the start of this year’s mass gymnastic’s performances at Pyongyang’s May Day Stadium — another large-scale gathering — is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

Edited by James Fretwell and Kelly Kasulis