Tag: public health
North Koreans fed up with folk remedies as colds spread
A wave of respiratory illness is sweeping parts of North Korea as the seasons change this fall, with adults and children alike battling colds...
Trader loses all her medicine after defying police
A Chongjin medicine trader lost her entire stock in October 2026 after refusing a police officer’s demand for free drugs, winning back her goods...
Hamhung sellers push pricey “export” health supplements
Private sellers in Hamhung, North Korea, are aggressively pushing pricey health supplements on local people in 2026. They claim the products come from North...
Secret abortion pills leave Kaechon schoolgirl bleeding in the street
A teenage girl in Kaechon, South Pyongan province, collapsed in the street in early October 2026 after taking abortion pills. She had secretly bought...
North Korea expands medical insurance as new hospitals rise in cities...
North Korea is building model hospitals and pharmacies across the country while widening a new medical insurance program meant to ease the cost of...
Diverted military morphine raises health fears for North Korean officer’s wife
A North Korean army officer has spent years diverting morphine meant for military medical facilities to his wife. A source inside the military told...
Power outage forces Chongjin hospital to cremate body without consent
A hospital in Chongjin, the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyong province, cremated a patient's body without the family's consent this month, after power...
North Korea codifies soil pollution law, but enforcement remains in doubt
North Korea passed a sweeping law in 2025 that regulates soil pollution from initial monitoring through investigation, cleanup and punishment of violators. The...
North Korea issues heat wave rules as deaths surpass 100
North Korea's Cabinet held an emergency meeting and issued a detailed set of heat wave guidelines after the death toll from heat-related illness surpassed...
North Korea expands mandatory HIV testing to service workers
North Korea has expanded mandatory HIV testing beyond travelers entering and leaving the country. The policy now covers hotel, restaurant and department store workers...
