North Korea List of concentration and internment camps

concentration camps came being in north korea in wake of country s liberation japanese colonial rule @ end of world war ii. persons considered adversary class forces , such landholders, japanese collaborators, religious devotees , families of people migrated south, rounded , detained in large facilities. additional camps later established in late 1950s , 60s in order incarcerate political victims of power struggles along families overseas koreans migrated north. later, number of camps saw marked increase cementing of kim il sung dictatorship , kim jong-il succession. dozen concentration camps in operation until 1990s, of them closed , merged remaining 6 camps purpose of maintaining better secrecy , control.

north korea known operate 6 concentration camps, accommodating around 200,000 prisoners. these camps, officially called kwan-li-so (korean control , management center ), large political penal-labor colonies in secluded mountain valleys of central , northeastern north korea. once condemned political criminals in north korea, defendants , 3 generations of families (even little children , old people) incarcerated in 1 of camps without trial , cut off outside contact. prisoners reportedly work 14-hour days @ hard labor , forced undergo ideological re-education. starvation, torture , disease commonplace. political criminals invariably receive life sentences.

kang chol-hwan former prisoner of yodok concentration camp , has written book (the aquariums of pyongyang) time in camp. shin dong-hyuk person known have escaped kaechon concentration camp , gave account of time in camp.