The two most common health concerns among the aging North Korean elite, it seems, are dementia and erectile dysfunction. They can't do much about the dementia - it comes with the territory - but erectile dysfunction is an altogether different kettle of fish:
What is the most popular gift item purchased by North Korean officials taking business trips to China? Looking to gain some insight into what the shopping list of the North Korean elite classes can tell us about their lives, New Focus International turned to their travel destinations for clues.
In regions most frequented by North Korean officials for business, the advertisement “Viagra, Cialis” appears without fail. “One of the most popular items among the North Korean elite are impotence drugs,” says a North Korean defector who was formerly a high-ranking official....
In fact, the ruling classes devote much effort into trying to improve on the effects of Viagra. “Yangchunsamrok” is one of those North Korean impotence drugs said to be formulated from herbal extracts. It is claimed to be “a revolutionary drug for curing erectile dysfunction created using North Korea’s valuable herbs, combining the medicinal theories of Koryo (an ancient Korean dynasty preceding the Chosun Dynasty) and the technology of modern science.”
It is said that these variations on “Viagra” are sold not only within North Korea, but also exported, with sales providing members of the elite with an extra line of income. According to the U.S Congressional Research Service, the deterioration of the North Korean economy correlated with an increasing tendency by members of the elite to pursue profits through activities such as producing imitations, drug trafficking and sex-related items.
Meanwhile, sales of North Korean Viagra are apparently growing in China, where fake Viagra producing all-too-little results already abounds. “Neoviagra YR” is one of these, and even when sold in China they carry the propaganda slogan, “Effects optimized by the power of Juche ideology.”
Other such drugs include “Garoojigi” and “Youth No.1″. The latter was manufactured by the Pyongyang Institute of Medicine and Science, an institution under the auspices of the Ministry of Health. In addition to improving erectile dysfunction, these drugs are claimed to nourish blood, increase physical robustness, and improve general immunity....
As the average age of North Korea’s political elite grows higher, so probably will the focus on acquiring and developing impotence drugs. Is this a virtuous trend? While medical attention for ordinary North Koreans remains forgotten, anything that satiates the desires of the ruling classes will continue to remain as obsessions.
The women? They just close their eyes and think of the Great Marshal.
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