The medical condition of North Korea's latest escapee reveals worrying insights about health and hygiene in the rogue state.

The individual, who was shot multiple times after running across the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea on Monday, is currently recovering at a hospital near Seoul. His chances of survival, however, are complicated by the "enormous number of parasites" found in his body, South Korean doctor Lee Cook-Jong told Agence France-Press on Thursday.

In the man's small intestine, Lee discovered numerous roundworms, including one that was 27 centimeters, or about 11 inches, long. "I've never seen anything like this in my 20 years as a physician," he told AFP.