More North Koreans look to traditional medicine for cures

More North Koreans look to traditional medicine for cures
source: DailyNK

Medicinal plants at a health food store in Pyongyang.
Image: Daily NK

As distrust of Western medicine increases among North Koreans, a rising preference for traditional Korean medicine is emerging, report sources in the country.

“People are now able to feed themselves, so there’s more interest in maintaining health and receiving treatment for ailments,” said a source in Ryanggang Province during a phone call with Daily NK on May 4. “There are more and more people who prefer traditional Korean medicine to Western medicine.”

The source reported that North Koreans know that Western medicine acts faster to relieve ailments, but there is a strong perception that it causes undesirable side effects. “North Koreans often head to the northern part of the country to purchase medicinal plants that grow high up in the mountains if their ailments don’t require quick medical attention,” the source said.

“Most markets located in the northern region of the country have more and more merchants selling professionally-presented medicinal products to meet the rising demand,” the source continued. “Root bark from various medicinal plants, elm tree bark, milk vetch root, and rhododendron leaves are sold as medicinal products.”

Rumors of traditional Korean medicine completely curing ailments have spread among the population and led to an increase in demand for the products, said the source.

A source in North Hamgyong Province also reported that “fake Western medicine” produced illegally and sold widely in the markets has led to a growing negative perception toward Western drugs.

“North Koreans typically go to the hospital to find out what they are suffering from and then get a prescription for traditional Korean medicine at respective pharmacies,” he said. “They then buy the medicine at the market and boil the medicinal leaves by themselves.”


He further reported that there was a rise in students at medical schools who preferred traditional Korean medicine over more modern drugs, noting, “There’s also word that the number of North Koreans who use illicit drugs has fallen due to the rising popularity of traditional Korean medicine."