On July 18, North Korea announced that a domestically produced COVID-19 vaccine entered clinical trials, joining the global race to develop a cure for a virus that has already killed at least 650,000 people worldwide.

An otherwise quiet North Korean state website, Mirae, first published the report, which was then quickly picked up by South Korean media and even CNN. The New York Times went so far as to add the North Korean clinical trial to its vaccine tracker.

Nevertheless, news media was quick to stress doubt that the DPRK had the funds or expertise to develop