Korea invents first no-hangover booze

Yep, according to the state-owned newspaper The Pyongyang Times, the tipple (named Koryo Liquor) is made mainly from ginseng, glutinous rice (in replace of sugar) and, of course, alcohol.

The North Korean media has a long record of making extraordinary claims of the country’s achievements in pretty much any field from medicine to sport and farming.

Andray Abrahamian, who regularly visits North Korea for business, said he was skeptical about the new elixir’s lofty claims. In a romantic turn of phrase, the state-owned outlet also said the drink was “highly appreciated by experts and lovers” for its “suave” nature.

During the meeting, Han called the North’s test a grave threat to the Korean Peninsula and the whole world, saying that it is time Seoul and Washington coordinate sanctions and put pressure on Pyongyang. “The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol induced hangover is to practise abstinence or moderation”.

The paper praised the product because it “exudes national flavor” and said that it has “already been registered as a national scientific and technological hit”.

This isn’t the first time North Korea’s eminent scientists have proclaimed the magical medical properties of ginseng: it’s the essential ingredient in the Kumdang-2 injection, which apparently cures SARS and AIDS, among other ailments.

Is there anything Kim Jong-Un can’t do?