Advertisement

Doctors discover 10-inch worm in North Korean defector's stomach

Medical expert Lee Cook-Jong said he had never seen anything like the worm before: AFP
Medical expert Lee Cook-Jong said he had never seen anything like the worm before: AFP

Doctors have discovered a 10-inch parasite in the stomach of a North Korean soldier who defected before fleeing south.

The soldier was flown to hospital by helicopter after a dramatic escape in which he was shot in the buttocks, armpit, back, shoulder and knee.

The presence of the worm in his stomach is thought by many to confirm the poor food and hygiene standards thought to be affecting the North Korean population.

Reports say the man was an army staff sergeant in his mid-20s who was stationed in Panmmunjom, a village in the Joint Security Area, part of a truce area set up by the UN.

Lee Cook-Jong, a leading South Korean surgeon, shared photos of the man's insides during a briefing to fellow medical practitioners.

He said: "We are struggling with treatment as we found a large number of parasites in the soldier's stomach, invading and eating wounded areas.

"We have also discovered a parasite never seen in Korea before. It is making the situation worse and causing tremendous complications."

"In my 20 years as a surgeon, I have only ever seen something like this in a textbook."

It is believed the man contracted the species before he was shot, according to a report in the Biomedical Review.