북한에서의 인삼에 관한 의학적 연구

초록

In this study, we analyzed research papers published by North Korean authorson the medical use of ginseng, aiming to identify trends and evaluate theirsignificance. As of November 30, 2022, a search for “ginseng” in the Ministryof Unification's North Korea Information Center and North Korea Science andTechnology Network yielded 225 results. Of the 105 studies focused on medicalresearch, 64 were fully accessible, and 58 were included in this analysis afterclassification by two medical doctors. Most publications were original researcharticles (49) on animal experiments, with 9 clinical studies, indicating activeresearch in both traditional and modern medicine in North Korea. The researchspanned various fields, including basic medicine, gastroenterology, and endocrinology. Many papers cited the teachings of the North Korean leaders KimIl-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un to explain their research objectives,reflecting an association of political ideology with medical research in the country. Additionally, five papers on preventive medicine and primary healthcarehighlighted the coexistence of traditional and modern medicine and publicengagement, which are key features of North Korean healthcare. Althoughthese studies suggest that ginseng and Koryo medicine are effective in treatingailments such as colds, chronic liver disease, and brain aging, methodologicalshortcomings were observed. For instance, the animal experiments ofteninvolved small sample sizes and lacked clear statistical methods. In conclusion,research on ginseng in North Korea often tends to be used as a propaganda toolto emphasize the superiority of Koryo medicine, and there have been frequentinstances where ensuring scientific rigor in these studies has been challenging.

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