Kijichon, literally camptown, refers to the towns surrounding military bases of the United States Forces Korea (USFK). They are generally located in more rural areas, many of which are near the Korean demilitarized zone. The inhabitants do not interact with Korean society at large due to the stigma associated with living and working in kijichon. In terms of Korean citizens, kijichon are primarily populated by the poor and otherwise marginalized. The towns exist mainly to provide prostitution to American soldiers, which was deemed as "necessary for soldiers to continue protecting South Korea, and was beneficial for economic development" in kijichon. All of the businesses in these towns that explicitly cater to "U.S. military personnel must be licensed by the Korea Special Tourist Associatio