# We$tern Medicine Embarrassed By North Korean Wonder Drug **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 20, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-tern-medicine-embarrassed-by-north-korean-wonder-drug/723034 "2015-06-20T22:24:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-tern-medicine-embarrassed-by-north-korean-wonder-drug/723034/21 "2015-06-22T15:34:47Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > I wonder what the HIV infection rate is like in North Korea? I would assume it’s fairly low, comparatively, with such a homogenous, insulated society. > > Has there been any data? Huh? 😕 “Insulated,” okay – if the infection never enters the country, it’s not a problem. (Of course, once it does, the country’s isolationism is moot.) But what does the homogeneity of the population have to do with anything? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-tern-medicine-embarrassed-by-north-korean-wonder-drug/723034/22 "2015-06-22T15:41:54Z")
North Korea started out as evil, moved on to insane, and has now graduated to laughably stupid. It’s like an Asian _The Producers_. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-tern-medicine-embarrassed-by-north-korean-wonder-drug/723034/23 "2015-06-30T00:09:58Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Huh? 😕 “Insulated,” okay – if the infection never enters the country, it’s not a problem. (Of course, once it does, the country’s isolationism is moot.) But what does the homogeneity of the population have to do with anything? Homogenous was just a reference to the fact that they have very little immigration (who in their right mind would want to move there on purpose?) and very little international travel, and therefore less chance than usual for HIV to get introduced in the first place. (Maybe, who knows?) And then if someone did have the misfortune of being HIV+ in North Korea, I’m thinking they’d never have any chance of knowing, anyway. When would they ever get tested? They’ve probably never run ANY tests, thus their “100% sure we have no confirmed HIV+ citizens” claim could be technically true. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-tern-medicine-embarrassed-by-north-korean-wonder-drug/723034/24 "2015-06-30T00:31:22Z")
One day the NK’s are going to (completely by accident) make some insane scientific breakthrough (viable cold fusion, room-temperature superconductor, antimatter production with a 9 volt battery etc) and the rest of the world will go: :dubious: 😛 😕 :eek: :o ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-tern-medicine-embarrassed-by-north-korean-wonder-drug/723034/25 "2015-06-30T23:12:01Z")
And yet, the death rate from nighttime fan use continues to rise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-tern-medicine-embarrassed-by-north-korean-wonder-drug/723034.md?page=1)