North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s regime is trying to combat the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a development linked to the growth of prostitution in the impoverished state, The Korean Times reports. Citing various sources, the article said the North’s Ministry of Health had ordered that the Pyongyang hospital specializing in dermatology expand to accommodate patients with STIs. In addition, illnesses such as gonorrhea and syphilis may be spreading among the military as a result of prostitution and relations between officials and female soldiers. In the past, international groups have offered to help with the STI problem, but North Korea rejected the aid, saying that STIs were a result of capitalism.

To read the Korean Times article, click here.