North Korea has begun human studies on a COVID-19 vaccine – using information stolen from Western drug manufacturers by a dedicated team of hackers, according to a report.
The Hermit Kingdom is already in Phase 3 in its shooting trials, even as the secret nation refuses to admit any confirmed cases, an informant told the Daily NK.
The insider confirmed to the media that he relied on the work of a specialized “hacking organization” dedicated to stealing information about vaccines, triggering the alarm in the US, UK and South Korea since last year.
The hacking unit – called Bureau 325 – operates under the General Recognition Bureau while receiving direct orders from the Central Committee, the North Korean source said.
The report is addressed directly to Kim Yo Jong, the dreaded sister of supreme leader Kim Jong Un, who also helps manage the group’s activities, the report said.
“Due to the nature of the cyber attacks, it is difficult to confirm exactly what kind of data North Korea stole,” 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, which is being developed by Kim Il Sung University’s Biological Industry Research Center, the source told the Daily NK.
No matter how much wisdom you steal, it may still not be enough for a successful COVID-19 shot.
“They have provided enough know-how through hacking, but they do not have the capacity to produce [vaccines]”The press source said.
“But because the supreme leader [Kim Jong Un] they have directly ordered the development of an independent vaccine, they have to show something in the way of the results “, the source added.