Ask Lemmygrad

You're right that Cuba and Vietnam also responded seriously, but what I mean is China was the only one that had a zero COVID policy. As a result, their per capita numbers were the best in the world (among countries that have adequate ability to test, anyway). Being a country of over a billion people gives their tremendous success a lot more weight. No disrespect meant to Cuba, Vietnam, or DPRK.

DPRK is too unique to really compare to other countries anyway. They could isolate as much as New Zealand, no one else could reasonably lock down like that because that's a direct product of their nation being under siege for essentially its entire existence.

If New Zealand is the bunker nation of billionaires, DPRK is the people's bunker nation.