Wounded N. Korean defector infested with parasitic worms

A North Korean soldier who was shot five times and seriously wounded while defecting had “an enormous number” of parasitic worms in his body, said a medic who operated on him, according to media reports Friday.

The soldier was shot by his comrades Monday as he crossed the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.

South Korean doctor Lee CookJong told reporters that a 27-centimetre worm was the longest parasite removed from the soldier’s intestines, the BBC reported. The team discovered the worms while operating to save the man’s life.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my 20 years as a physician,” Lee said.

People can get worms and other parasites through drinking contaminated water, eating undercooked meat and infected vegetables, being bitten by insects, coming into contact with feces and walking barefoot on larvae-infested soil. The worms — along with corn found in the man’s stomach — are believed to give a rare insight into life in the reclusive nation.

“Although we do not have solid figures showing health conditions of North Korea, medical experts assume that parasite infection problems and serious health issues have been prevalent in the country,” said Choi Min-ho, a professor of the College of Medicine at Seoul National University, to the Guardian.

“(The soldier’s condition is) not surprising at all considering the North’s hygiene and parasite problems,” Choi added.