North Korea has lifted mask and other COVID-19 restrictions for most of the country days after leader Kim Jong Un announced “victory” against the virus, according to state media on Saturday.

Kim claimed on Wednesday the country had completely exterminated the viruses in DPRK territory just three months after the country’s first known COVID-19 outbreak.

“The step for obligatory mask-wearing was lifted in all areas except frontline areas and borderline cities and counties, given that the whole country was turned into an epidemic-free zone and the nationwide anti-epidemic level was lowered,” the Rodong Sinmun stated. Frontline regions refer to inter-Korean