And despite Mr Kim's all-consuming hatred for America, the Washington-based group said it had no trouble transporting the medicine.

"Despite the ongoing tensions surrounding the Korean peninsula this year, we are happy to announce that our spring shipment of medications and supplies for our multidrug-resistant treatment program have arrived in North Korea," aid workers said in a "special announcement" seen by the Telegraph.

"We would like to extend a special thanks to all those who have helped make this possible," they added.

Though TB has mostly disappeared from the developed world, it remains a major public health risk in North Korea, where a drug-resistant strain of the disease has emerged.