- Evaluating North Korean academic medicine’s contributions to the international medical literature: a bibliometric study
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Andrew Holzman, Yongbin Kim, Jaewoo Park, Douglas Rappaport
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Received September 26, 2024 Accepted February 7, 2025 Published online April 10, 2025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.365
[Epub ahead of print]
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 Abstract
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- Purpose
We analyzed the bibliometric characteristics of articles authored by individuals affiliated with North Korean medical education institutions indexed in PubMed, using an expanded search strategy to update prior studies.
Methods
Our search revealed both a significantly larger number of publications and a greater capacity for substantive research with international impact than previously reported. We reviewed 331 records, selecting 79 for inclusion. For each publication, we collected data regarding the involvement of North Korean patients as primary research subjects, research methods employed, international partnerships, study topics, the impact factor of the publishing journal, and the number of cross-referencing citations.
Results
We identified 10 publications presenting primary data from North Korean patients, 3 of which involved prospective, randomized clinical trials. North Korean authors frequently collaborated with international partners—primarily from China, though some partnerships involved institutions in Europe and North America—while 11 publications were authored solely by North Korean researchers. Surgery was the most common subject, appearing in 20 publications; however, these articles were cited infrequently (an average of 1.4 citations per publication). In contrast, research in dermatology and traditional medicine demonstrated higher impact (10 and 4.7 cross-citations, respectively).
Conclusion
Our study clarifies the network of partnerships between North Korean medical educators and international institutions. We propose that North Korea’s capacity to engage in research meeting international clinical science standards may be greater than previously acknowledged, particularly in the field of traditional medicine.
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KCSE
