According to a report, North Korea has begun human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine – using information stolen from Western drugmakers by a dedicated team of hackers.
The Hermit Kingdom is in trial for its shot as early as sentence 3, produced even as the secret nation refuses to admit to confirmed cases, an informant told Daily NK.
The insider confirmed to the outlet that it was based on the work of a specialized “hacking organization” engaged in stealing vaccine information, and has been raising the alarm in the US, UK and South Korea since last year.
The hacking unit – called Bureau 325 – operates under the Reconnaissance General Bureau and receives direct orders from the Central Committee, the North Korea source said.
It reports directly to Kim Yo Jong, the dreaded sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, who also helps manage the group’s operations, the report said.
“Due to the nature of cyber attacks, it is difficult to confirm exactly what kind of data North Korea has stolen,” cybersecurity expert Mun Chong Hyun told Daily NK.
But at least some of the stolen knowledge appeared to be at the heart of the new vaccine, being developed by Kim Il Sung University’s Biological Industry Research Center, the source told Daily NK.
No matter how much wisdom they stole, it still may not be enough for a successful COVID-19 shot.
“They have accumulated enough know-how through hacking, but they don’t have the capacity to produce [vaccines], ‘Said the source of the outlet.
‘But because the Supreme Leader [Kim Jong Un] have directly ordered a vaccine to be independently developed, they must show something in the way of results, ”the source added.