Surgical Diseases in North Korea: An Overview of North Korean Medical Journals

Abstract

Information regarding surgical diseases in North Korea is not fully reported despite their clear clinical significance. The current study aimed to indirectly assess the contemporary research trends and medical infrastructure related to surgical diseases in North Korea. We analyzed and categorized articles from the journal Surgery that were published during the Kim Jong-un era (2012–2018). The framework for categorization was primarily based on disease entities, surgical specialty, and research methodology. A total of 1792 articles in 28 issues were included in the current study. The frequency of detailed surgical cases and their associated characteristics based on their specialty were investigated. The types of medical imaging techniques and anesthetics that were commonly utilized in clinical fields in North Korea were also evaluated. A large proportion of essential surgeries were covered, with the exception of those for congenital diseases; however, a lack of surgical techniques and infrastructure was revealed. Going forward, further evaluation of the surgical system and a greater focus on non-communicable diseases in North Korea are needed.

The Relationship Between Perceived Stress, State-Trait Anxiety, and Sleep Quality Among University Graduates in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…It has been reported that the new infectious diseases may cause an increase in anxiety, depression, and stress in the general population (Erdoğan and Hocaoğlu, 2020;Tull et al, 2020;Kim et al, 2021). Facing the COVID-19 virus, a new infectious disease has resulted in a high prevalence of mental health problems in China and other countries (Chan et al, 2020;Choi et al, 2020;Ding et al, 2020). This increased stress in individuals, especially university students, can cause elevated anxiety levels and in turn compromise the sleep quality (Huang and Zhao, 2020;Zacher and Rudolph, 2020).…”

Review of North Korean Reports on Cardiovascular Disease Research and Management

“… 19 Cardiovascular studies in North Korea occasionally showed an extreme gender deviation with less than 10% of the study cohort being women. 20 21 This indicates possible discrimination between men and women or hierarchical discrimination for receiving treatment. However, considering the success rate of cardiovascular procedures, surgeries, and interventions, professional skills and levels may have been specialized.…”

Research topics in intellectual disabilities in North Korea: A scoping review

“…Second, the selection protocol and screening processes for research articles from North Korean journals may include an intrinsic possibility of classification errors. Papers published are relatively short, mainly 1–2 pages in length, and not every paper provides rigorous criteria on the participants included in the studies; it is not clear whether the studies were peer‐reviewed, or conducted in consistent conditions (Choi et al, 2020; Ha et al, 2018). Given these limitations, research trends and topics outlined in this review should be interpreted with caution.…”

“…( short, mainly 1-2 pages in length, and not every paper provides rigorous criteria on the participants included in the studies; it is not clear whether the studies were peer-reviewed, or conducted in consistent conditions (Choi et al, 2020;Ha et al, 2018). Given these limitations, Approaches to recent psychiatric fields in North Korea, particularly in intellectual disabilities, may provide meaningful discussions for researchers and policymakers to broaden understanding.…”

“…Given these circumstances, research reviews may provide valuable preliminary insight into the atmosphere in North Korea surrounding people with intellectual disabilities, despite limitations for data acquisition and integrity evaluation; detailed information on how studies are conducted or whether they have been peer‐reviewed are not currently known. As policy and research trends in North Korea are intertwined under the instruction of the supreme leader, policy trends of the authorities can be possibly inferred based on research reviews (Choi et al, 2020; Ha et al, 2018; Lee et al, 2011).…”