FROM OUR OBSESSION
Global Economic Disruptions
Globalization, automation, and inequality.
More than 30 coronavirus vaccines are being tested on humans worldwide, and North Korea just joined the race. On Saturday (Jul. 18), the country’s State Commission of Science and Technology announced government scientists had started on the first stage of human trials for a vaccine candidate, according to the Korea Herald.
Just one hiccup: To test the shot’s effectiveness, scientists would have to conduct trials abroad, the statement said, “since there is no case of Covid-19 in DPR Korea.”
Why would North Korea—a country with a struggling healthcare system that relies on the World Health Organization (WHO) for vaccines—invest in a vaccine that isn’t affecting its citizens? The short answer: It probably wouldn’t.
