Seoul, Jul 9 (IANS): North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a large-scale group photo session with officials from the ruling party amid an ongoing Covid-19 outbreak in the country, state media reported on Saturday.

Photos released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) show Kim standing in close proximity with hundreds of officials from the ruling Workers' Party without masks.

Kim last held such a mass photo session in early May with soldiers and youth groups that participated in a massive military parade in April, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The two events were noted among analysts as key factors that could have prompted the rapid spread of Covi-19 in the North.

Observers said the latest photo session is aimed at displaying Kim's confidence in containing the pandemic.

North Korea claims that Covid-19 infections are slowing down, with new suspected cases below 2,000 on Friday, after peaking at over 392,920 on May 15.

The North disclosed its first Covid-19 case on May 12 after claiming to be coronavirus-free for over two years.