Seoul, Dec 10 (IANS): North Korea's main newspaper on Saturday lauded the country's "victory" over the Covid-19 pandemic as its greatest achievement for this year amid ongoing efforts to highlight the leadership of Kim Jong-un.

The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party, praised Kim's guidance in presenting "timely and scientific" quarantine policies and effectively controlling the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"With great foresight and strong determination, he built up the country's quarantine barriers by taking pre-emptive and strict measures since the first outbreak of the malicious virus," the paper said.

The paper also carried an article the previous day highlighting the North's anti-virus efforts in an apparent call for loyalty to the leader.

In August, Kim declared victory over Covid-19 and ordered the lifting of Pyongyang's "maximum emergency anti-epidemic" measures, claiming an end to the pandemic three months after announcing its first case.