Never mind the nuclear rumblings, arbitrary executions and incessant famines: North Korea is Best Korea, because North Korea has invented hangover-free booze!
According to state-run newspaper The Pyongyang Times, Koryo Liquor is an alcoholic beverage made from ginseng and glutinous rice. The paper describes it as “suave and causes no hangover”, qualities which have won Koryo the (presumably coveted) December 15 Medal of Quality.
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.
Before you write off Koryo altogether, it’s worth noting that ginseng does actually have some reputed hangover-curing properties. In a 2014 study, a red ginseng drink was shown to relieve the symptoms of a hangover when compared to water, thanks to its effects on alcohol metabolism.
[Pyongyang Times via BBC]