Kim Jong-un wielded a shovel as he joined in a ground-breaking ceremony for a new hospital to be built in the capital Pyongyang.
The North Korean leader said he wants the hospital finished by October to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the country’s ruling Workers’ Party.
He said it being built had already been agreed at a meeting months ago.
North Korea claims it has no cases of Covid-19 and Kim did not wear a mask.
This is despite thousands of cases in neighbouring south Korea and China.
