Art, obsession, and identity
Though North Korea faced significant losses during the Korean War (1950–1953), Kim Il Sung’s regime managed to achieve a surprising milestone: the country’s first major public health reform. Ironically, this progress was fueled by a sweeping propaganda campaign that accused the US military of deploying biological weapons. This effort paradoxically spurred advancements in population health amidst the chaos of war and is one of the greatest examples of how political propaganda can shape societies in most unexpected ways.
Click through the gallery to uncover how this campaign changed North Korea forever.
In less than a year, the Korean War left the physical landscape of the peninsula in shambles. Towns and cities were reduced to rubble, fields were scorched, and infrastructure was obliterated.
The war dismantled the essential systems that supported daily life; sanitation networks failed, and city water systems fell into disrepair, leaving communities vulnerable to disease and hardship.
By early 1951, the Korean War had taken a devastating toll on both sides—not just through combat but also through widespread epidemics. Typhus and smallpox swept through troops and civilians alike.
In response to the health crises in the South, United Nations forces swiftly took action to contain the spread of disease. Mass inoculation campaigns were launched to protect civilians and troops from deadly epidemics.
Efforts to combat disease-carrying mosquitoes included widespread aerial spraying of the insecticide DDT, showcasing an urgent and organized public health response amid the chaos of war.
While South Korea's alliance with the United Nations and the United States ensured a continuous stream of medical aid for both civilians and soldiers, the situation in the North was starkly different.
Dependent on their Chinese allies, North Korea faced critical shortages of medical expertise and equipment, highlighting the unequal access to health resources during the Korean War.
As fever, malaria, and typhoid swept unchecked through villages and military camps, the combined North Korean-Chinese forces faced devastating losses.
In May 1951, their failed offensive resulted in a staggering 160,000 casualties, marking a significant blow to their campaign. The dual impact of disease and military defeat emphasized the challenges faced by the coalition during the Korean War.
Fearing a loss of public support, the Communist allies responded with aggressive propaganda campaigns.
They accused the US of waging germ warfare against North Korean troops and civilians, claiming the use of biological weapons supplied by Japan. These allegations served as a tool to rally both military and civilian morale in a time of crisis.
For many, the claims of US germ warfare weren’t difficult to accept. During World War II, Japanese forces occupying northern China conducted horrifying experiments on thousands of civilians and prisoners-of-war.
These atrocities were part of a program aimed at developing chemical and biological weapons, leaving a dark legacy that made such accusations all too plausible.
The horrors inflicted by Japanese forces during World War II lingered in the collective memory of the Chinese and North Koreans well into the 1950s. Stories of the release of plague-infested fleas on unsuspecting villages were widely circulated in national media.
The US decision to grant immunity to Japanese scientists involved in biological warfare during post-WWII war crimes trials added fuel to Communist propaganda during the Korean War.
This exchange of immunity for biological warfare research, along with reports of the US military's continued experimentation with agents like anthrax and botulism, intensified mistrust and deepened suspicions of American intentions among North Korea and its allies.
Nationalist media fueled public fears with claims that “American imperialist murderers” were deliberately spreading disease. The United Nations and the US were also accused of deploying poison gas against the People’s Army.
Behind the Iron Curtain, rumors of American biological weapons attacks gained traction. Newspapers in Poland and the Soviet Union carried reports accusing the US of deploying germ warfare against North Korean troops and civilians.
North Korea escalated its allegations of germ warfare to the international stage by presenting them to the United Nations Security Council. The regime demanded a formal investigation into the US's purported use of biological weapons.
Amidst the swirling media narratives and international accusations, North Korea launched its most ambitious public health initiative to date. With support from its Soviet allies, vaccines were procured and distributed to combat widespread disease.
Citizens were mobilized for city clean-ups and "delousing" efforts to combat disease-carrying insects. Local governments contributed by repairing sewers, improving drainage systems, and deepening wells.
In its fight against disease, the newly-formed Anti-epidemic Bureau meticulously tracked outbreaks and conducted inspections.
An American prisoner of war later recounted the extensive vaccination campaign carried out in North Korea. According to his account, “everybody—soldiers, civilians, adults, and children—received four separate inoculations and revaccination.”
North Korea's propaganda campaign proved remarkably effective in sowing distrust toward the US. So much so, it prompted the formation of an international commission of experts to investigate the allegations of germ warfare.
The International Scientific Commission for the Investigation of the Facts Concerning Bacterial Warfare in Korea and China examined an array of evidence presented during its inquiry. Reports included claims of spiders, flies, and rodents deployed as biological weapons by the US.
The commission ultimately concluded that “the peoples of Korea and China have indeed been the objective of bacteriological weapons,” asserting that these were utilized by units of the US armed forces during the conflict.
Critics point out that, aside from the powerful propaganda and testimonies of North Korean and Chinese scientists, there is an absence of concrete evidence to substantiate the allegations of germ warfare by the US.
The germ warfare allegations remain one of the most peculiar and dramatic episodes of the early Cold War, lacking definitive proof of US military actions.
Decades later, the bizarre nature of these claims continues to spark debate and intrigue, adding yet another layer of complexity to the already fragile relationship between North Korea and the US.
Sources: (JSTOR Daily) (The New Republic) (NLM)
See also: A nation divided: the differences between North and South Korea
How North Korea’s anti-American propaganda improved public health
The surprising link between political strategy and health policies
LIFESTYLE Geopolitics
Though North Korea faced significant losses during the Korean War (1950–1953), Kim Il Sung’s regime managed to achieve a surprising milestone: the country’s first major public health reform. Ironically, this progress was fueled by a sweeping propaganda campaign that accused the US military of deploying biological weapons. This effort paradoxically spurred advancements in population health amidst the chaos of war and is one of the greatest examples of how political propaganda can shape societies in the most unexpected ways.
Click through the gallery to uncover how this campaign changed North Korea forever.