Kaechon internment camp
Encyclopedia
Kaechon internment camp is a labor camp in North Korea
for political prisoners. The official name is Kwan-li-so (Penal-labor colony) No. 14. It is not to be confused with Kaechon concentration camp
(Kyo-hwa-so No. 1), which is located 20 km (12.4 mi) to the north-west.
, P'yŏngan-namdo province in North Korea
. It is situated along the middle reaches of Taedong
river, which forms the southern boundary of the camp, and also includes the mountains north of the river like Purok-san. On the southern banks of Taedong river adjoins Bukchang concentration camp
(Kwan-li-so No. 18).
The camp is around 155 km² (59.8 sq mi) wide. The camp includes overcrowded barracks for males, females and elder children separately and the headquarters with administration and guards housing. Altogether around 15,000 prisoners live in Kaechon internment camp.
Food rations are very small, so that the prisoners are very skinny and weak. Many of them die of undernourishment, illness, work accidents and the aftereffects of torture. Again and again (e.g., when attempting to escape) prisoners are publicly executed. Shin Dong-hyuk was forced to watch the execution of his mother and brother at the age of 14.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
for political prisoners. The official name is Kwan-li-so (Penal-labor colony) No. 14. It is not to be confused with Kaechon concentration camp
Kaechon concentration camp
Kaechon concentration camp is a prison in North Korea with many political prisoners. The official name is Kyo-hwa-so No. 1. It is not to be confused with Kaechon internment camp Kaechon concentration camp (Hangeul: , also spelled Kae'chŏn or Gaecheon) is a prison in North Korea with many...
(Kyo-hwa-so No. 1), which is located 20 km (12.4 mi) to the north-west.
Location
The camp is located in Kae'chŏn countyKaechon
Kaech'ŏn is a city in South Pyongan Province, North Korea. Kaechon's coordinates are .-Geography:The Myohyangsan, Changansan, Ch'ŏnsŏngsan, and Ch'ŏngryongsan mountain ranges come together in Kaechon. The highest peak is Paekt'apsan. The most important rivers are the Ch'ŏngch'ŏn River and the...
, P'yŏngan-namdo province in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. It is situated along the middle reaches of Taedong
Taedong River
The Taedong River is a large river in North Korea. It rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north. It then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o. In between, it runs through the country's capital, Pyongyang. Along the river are landmarks such as the Juche Tower and Kim Il-sung...
river, which forms the southern boundary of the camp, and also includes the mountains north of the river like Purok-san. On the southern banks of Taedong river adjoins Bukchang concentration camp
Bukchang concentration camp
Bukchang concentration camp is a labor camp in North Korea for political prisoners. It is sometimes called Tŭkchang concentration camp . The official name is Kwan-li-so No...
(Kwan-li-so No. 18).
Description
Kaechon internment camp is a lifetime prison colony without any chance to be released. Politically unreliable people are deported without any trial to this camp and have to live completely isolated from the outside.The camp is around 155 km² (59.8 sq mi) wide. The camp includes overcrowded barracks for males, females and elder children separately and the headquarters with administration and guards housing. Altogether around 15,000 prisoners live in Kaechon internment camp.
Purpose
Main purpose of Kaechon internment camp is to isolate politically unreliable persons for lifetime from society and exploit them with hard labor. This labor must be performed in mines and farms with primitive means.Human Rights Situation
As reported by witnesses the prisoners have to do from 5:30 in the morning until midnight very hard and dangerous work in mines and other workplaces. Even 11 year old children have to work after school and may see their parents rarely. People are forced to work like slaves and are tortured in case of minor offences. The punishment for violating camp rules is death. Shin Dong-hyuk was brutally tortured, because his mother tried to escape, a part of his middle finger was hacked off and his back was severely burnt. At the age of 9 he saw a girl of his class being beaten to death for stealing 5 grains of wheat.Food rations are very small, so that the prisoners are very skinny and weak. Many of them die of undernourishment, illness, work accidents and the aftereffects of torture. Again and again (e.g., when attempting to escape) prisoners are publicly executed. Shin Dong-hyuk was forced to watch the execution of his mother and brother at the age of 14.
Prisoners (Witnesses)
- Kim Yong (1995–1996 in Kaechon, later in Bukchang) was imprisoned, when his relationship (which he covered up) to his father and brother, who both were executed as alleged US spies, was identified.
- Shin Dong-hyukShin Dong-hyuk (human rights activist)Shin Dong-hyuk is a North Korean defector living in South Korea. He is the only known person to have escaped from a 'total-control zone' grade concentration camp in North Korea. He has given testimony on his life in Kwan-li-so No...
(1982–2005 in Kaechon) was born in the camp. His father was there, because two of his brothers defected to South Korea during the Korean War.
See also
- Human rights in North KoreaHuman rights in North KoreaThe human rights record of North Korea is extremely hard to fully assess due to the secretive and closed nature of the country. The North Korean government makes it very difficult for foreigners to enter the country and strictly monitors their activities when they do...
- Kaechon concentration campKaechon concentration campKaechon concentration camp is a prison in North Korea with many political prisoners. The official name is Kyo-hwa-so No. 1. It is not to be confused with Kaechon internment camp Kaechon concentration camp (Hangeul: , also spelled Kae'chŏn or Gaecheon) is a prison in North Korea with many...
- Yodok concentration campYodok concentration campYodok concentration camp is a political prison camp in North Korea. The official name is Kwan-li-so No. 15.-Location:...
- Bukchang concentration campBukchang concentration campBukchang concentration camp is a labor camp in North Korea for political prisoners. It is sometimes called Tŭkchang concentration camp . The official name is Kwan-li-so No...
External links
- Committee for Human Rights in North Korea – Overview on North Korean Prison Camps with Testimonies and Satellite Photographs
- Life Funds for North Korean Refugees (NGO) - Political prisoner Shin Dong-hyuk tells about his life in the camp
- Born and raised in a North Korean gulag - New York Times, July 7, 2007
- Escapee Tells of Horrors in North Korean Prison Camp - Washington Post, December 11, 2008
- Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights – Witness accounts by North Korean refugees
- Daily NK: Escape from “Total Control Zone” - North Korea’s Papillon – The Daily NK, May 11, 2007
- One Free Korea: Camps 14 and 18, North Korea: Satellite Imagery – Detailed satellite images with comprehensive explanations