Snake oil: North Korea peddles folk cures as a panacea for all ills

State media promotes traditional remedies as a substitute for modern medicine — but citizens don’t buy the hype

Tatiana Gabroussenko October 28, 2021

Snake oil: North Korea peddles folk cures as a panacea for all ills

Image: NK News | Traditional medicine for sale at a store in Pyongyang on Sept. 11, 2018

A glance at the medicine in DPRK mass media is likely to leave the impression that North Koreans live in a medieval society.

The monthly magazine Korea Today, special journal Koryo Medicine (고려 의학) and other publications tirelessly extol herbs, moxibustion, acupuncture and all manner of traditional medicine as panaceas for disease. Some of these products suspiciously resemble basic herbal refreshments found in every convenience store in South Korea.

About the Author

Tatiana Gabroussenko

Tatiana Gabroussenko obtained her PhD in East Asian Studies at the Australian National University. She is currently a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, Seoul. Her latest book, "Soldiers on the Cultural Front: Developments in the Early History of North Korean Literature and Literary Policy," was included in the Choice magazine list of Outstanding Academic Titles of 2012.

View more articles by Tatiana Gabroussenko