Trump boasts, but misstates population of Seoul

During a White House briefing on the new coronavirus, President Donald Trump boasted that he knows South Korea "better than anybody" when asked why America's testing for the virus lags South Korea, when the two countries are compared on a per capita basis.

"You know how big the city of Seoul is?" Trump asked PBS NewsHour reporter Yamiche Alcindor. "38 million people. That's bigger than anything we have. 38 million people all tightly wound together," Trump said.

According to the website of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the city has approximately 10 million residents.

The president said the U.S. has done more testing than any other country "by far," and he said the tests are superior to those used in other countries.

"And when you look at that, as simple as that looks, that's something that's a game changer," he said.

The president upbraided Alcindor, telling her that she should be congratulating the companies that are manufacturing the testing kits for use in the U.S.

"You should be saying congratulations, instead of asking a really snarky question," Trump said.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.