A North Korean factory claims it has invented an alcohol that doesn’t cause hangovers. Koryo liquor is between 30 and 40 percent proof but a new recipe will not cause headaches the morning after. In fact, the manufacturer claims the drink is good for you.
North Korea’s Pyongyang Times proudly reported the invention in an article filled with florid language, claiming it “is highly appreciated by experts and lovers as it is suave and causes no hangover.”
This is not the first time North Korea has made a big claim about a seemingly miraculous product. The isolated nation said last year it had invented a vaccine effective against HIV/AIDS, cancer and the Ebola virus, among other fantastic claims.
The hereditary dictatorship, currently ruled by third generation leader Kim Jong-Un, is no stranger to making huge claims that cannot be independently verified. It recently detonated a nuclear device that it claimed was its first hydrogen bomb. International observers said that while the new bomb was very powerful, it was most likely not a H-Bomb.
North Korea is famous for its propaganda, recently dropping leaflets on South Korea threatening their neighbours and calling the south’s President Park Guen-hye a mad dog. The leaflets also featured a cartoon of Park in a red bikini and called her “human filth.”
The official head of state in North Korea is Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994 but is still a part of North Korea’s political mythology. Given the country’s long history of outlandish claims, reports of a hangover-free spirit should be taken with caution.
It is unlikely that ordinary North Koreans will benefit from the invention as Koryo liquor is only available to the elite. Many North Koreans struggle to feed their families.
