Four suspected fever cases were found in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday.

The report said the cases were found in Ryanggang province on Tuesday and health workers were conducting genetic tests on theirs samples to confirm whether the symptoms were caused by the "malignant epidemic" – a term the DPRK uses to describe COVID-19 pandemic. 

Meanwhile, areas where the fever cases emerged have been in lockdown until health authorities found out the cause of the illness. 

The news came after the country's leader declared victory against the illness in early August.