SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea claims that they have succeeded where the greatest minds in science have failed.
South Korea, authoritarian, impoverished nation better known for pursuing a nuclear program despite global criticism made an announcement on Friday saying that they have a drug the can prevent and cure MERS, Ebola, SARS and AIDS.
However, the secretive state did not provide any proof leaving a widespread skepticism.
The official Korean Central News Agency said scientists developed Kumdang-2 from ginseng grown from fertilizer 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 banned foreign tourists for more than half a year with some of the world's stricktest Ebola controls, even though there are no reports of the disease anywhere near the country.
According to World Health Organization, North Korea has been struggling to combat diseases like tuberculosis and respiratory infections which are the most common causes of death in the country.
