North Korea said it has succeeded where the greatest minds in science have failed. The authoritarian, impoverished nation – better known for pursuing a nuclear programme despite global criticism – announced on Friday a drug that it said can prevent and cure Aids, Ebola, Mers and Sars. The secretive state did not provide proof, and the claim is likely to provoke widespread scepticism. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said scientists developed Kumdang-2 from ginseng grown from fertiliser mixed with rare-earth elements. According to the pro-North Korea website Minjok Tongshin, the drug was originally produced in 1996. "Malicious virus infections like Sars, Ebola and Mers are diseases that are related to immune systems, so they can be easily treated by Kumdang-2 injection drug, which is a strong immune reviver," KCNA said. North Korea trumpeted the same drug during deadly bird flu outbreaks in 2006 and 2013. The North's claim comes as rival South Korea fights an outbreak of Mers that has killed two dozen people and infected more than 160 since last month. There is no vaccine for the disease.
