INSIDE ’S GULAGS

In 1980, after Kim Jong-il’s succession there was a purge of officials from the Workers Party of Korea – More than 100,000 people were sentenced to hard labour in eight camps. Exactly 30 years later the ruling party announced that Kim Jong-un, the youngest son of leader, Kim Jong-il was appointed a four-star general. Since then the number of executions in the country has risen and it is widely believed the numbers being sent to political prisoner camps are once more on the rise.

Camp 14 was established in 1958. There are an estimated Guard 15,000 prisoners held there. The camp includes barracks for SECTION OF males, females and elder children separately and the CAMP 14 housing headquarters, with administration and guard housing. n/a inmates KAECHON RUSSIA Hospice for According to witnesses, prisoners work in mines from 5:30 a.m. dying until midnight. Food rations are very small. Prisoners are No. 22 prisoners publicly executed for attempting to escape. Haengyong Camp 18 was established in 1959. There are an estimated 50,000 prisoners held. There are several prison labour colonies, Taedong with barracks for the prisoners and housing for the guards. No. 12 Jeonger-ri Coal mine River entrance According to witnesses, there are at 1,500 inmates least five coal mines and a cement factory within the camp. All prisoners Guard are forced to labour from early in the housing morning to late in the evening. N No. 25 Tong Hua 3 ,000 inmates 0 km 40 CHINA NORTH HAMGYONG

Execution site YANGGANG-DO No. 16 Hwason Jian 20,000 inmates

Prisoner housing CHAGANG-DO

CHAGANG No. 77 Danchun 6,000 inmates Camp 22 was established in 1959. There are an estimated Rifle range 50,000 prisoners held there. SECTION OF Analysis of satellite imagery that CAMP 18 the camp is surrounded by BUKCHANG guarded fences. Prisoner housing YOUNGDOKTONG No. 22 Oro SOUTH is clustered in fairly small groups. Satellite image of Political Prison Camps 14 & 18 in central taken on Feb. 8, 2011. 1,000 inmates HAMGYONG Housing the prisoners in this fashion could be to decrease the NORTH risk of rebellion. No. 3 Sinuiji PYONGAN 2,500 inmates

No. 1 Kaechon Camouflaged Prisoner 6,000 inmates No. 15 Yodok SINPOAnti-aircraft guns compound

SOUTH No. 14 Kaechon Tongjoson No.18 Yongdam PYONGAN Man Pigsty No. 8 Yongdam Korea 3,000 inmates Greenhouses Bay No. 4 Kangdong 7,000 inmates Propoganda Bureau Pyongyang

PYONGYANG KANGWON-DO Weapons store DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S NORTH SECTION OF Threshing REPUBLIC OF KOREA CAMP 15 SOUTH HWANGHAEmill YODOK (KUUP-RI) HWANGHAE Camp directors Unit 1 Ipsok office Prisoner River housing Ayang-ni DEMILITARIZED ZONE Taetan Unit 1 Nuchonriworkplace Admin. Ongjin Public offices execution site Detention and torture YEONPYEONG ISLAND Seoul centre

Kanghwa Camp 15 is split into a Total Control SECTION OF Armory Guards Incheon Zone and a Revolutionary Zone. CAMP 22 HAENGDONG offices Unit 2 The Total Control Zone is for people Prisoner whom the authorities perceive to have Satellite image of Political Prison Camp 22 in northern North Korea taken on Jan. 7, 2011. housing committed anti-regime crimes or who were denounced as being politically unreliable. These prisoners are never released. Around 30,000 prisoners are held there. REPUBLIC OF KOREA Guards The Revolutionary Zone is to punish office people for less serious political crimes. These prisoners are eventually released after serving their sentences. Around 16,500 prisoners are held there. The camp is surrounded by a four-metre barbed-wire fence and walls with electric wire, and watchtowers in Threshing regular intervals. The camp is patrolled mill by 1,000 guards with automatic rifles and dogs. Satellite image of Political Prison Camp 15 in central North Korea taken on April 7, 2011.

THE CRIMES OF THE INMATES THE CAMPS THE CONDITIONS IN THE CAMPS THE TORTURE KEY CAMP STATISTICS ❚ Criticizing the leadership THE TOTAL CONTROL ZONE CAMPS ❚ Temperatures can dip to -40C in South ❚ EXECUTIONS: Either by shooting ❚ The total number of political ❚ Officials who failed in the Contain those whom the authorities perceive Hammkyung province where Kwanliso 15 is or hanging. prisoners is estimated to be 200,000. implementation of policies to have committed serious crimes, including based. In most camps there are no blankets ❚ SOLITARY: The minimum period ❚ Only three people are known to have ❚ Contacting South Koreans anti-regime crimes. No one is ever released. ❚ One latrine for every 200 people in the cell is one week. EVER escaped from total control ❚ Being part of an anti-government group ❚ Lack of adequate access to medicine. There ❚ IMMERSION: A plastic bag zones and managed to leave the ❚ Listening to South Korean broadcasts THE REVOLUTIONARY ZONE CAMPS are no doctors in the Total Control Zones, and placed over the head and then country. ❚ Un-repatriated prisoners of war Contain those who have committed less serious those doctors in the Revolutionary Zones are submerged in water. ❚ An estimated 40% of inmates die from the Korean War crimes, such as being critical of government prisoners ❚ HUNG AND BEATEN: Hands and from malnutrition. ❚ Anyone caught crossing the border into policy, and border-crossers. Sentences can be ❚ All inmates have witnessed at least one feet tied behind them then their China illegally from a few months to 10 years. public execution bodies strung up by the wrists.

SOURCES: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, AND THE COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA ROSS JOHNSTON & RICHARD JOHNSON / NATIONAL POST