Chongori concentration camp

Chongori concentration camp
Chosŏn'gŭl	전거리 제12호 교화소
Hancha
Revised Romanization	Jeon'geori Je12ho Gyohwaso
McCune–Reischauer	Chŏn'gŏri Che12ho Kyohwaso
Chosŏn'gŭl	전거리 정치범 수용소
Hancha
Revised Romanization	Jeon'geori Jeongchibeom Suyongso
McCune–Reischauer	Chŏn'gŏri Chŏngch'ibŏm Suyongso

Chongori concentration camp (also spelled Jungeori, Jongori or Jeonger-ri) is a reeducation camp in North Korea. The official name of the camp is Kyo-hwa-so No. 12 (Reeducation camp no. 12).

The camp is located near Chongori, a little village in Musan-ri (Chosŏn'gŭl: 무산리; RR: Musanri; MR: Musanri), Hoeryong county, at the road and railroad almost halfway between Hoeryong and Chongjin, North Hamgyong province in North Korea. Chongori camp is situated at the end of a small valley 2.5 km (1.6 mi) southeast from the main valley in Pungsan-ri (Chosŏn'gŭl: 풍산리; RR: Pungsanri; MR: P'ungsanri) and Chongori.

Chongori concentration camp is a large prison compound, around 350 m (1,150 ft) long and 150 m (490 ft) wide. The main section is surrounded by a 8 m (26 ft) high wall, while the branch offices are surrounded with barbed wire and an electrified fence. In 2005 there used to be around 2000 prisoners, mostly non-political criminals, but often sentenced there for desperate offences such as stealing food. They are guarded by around 300 prison guards with machine guns. From 2006 on the number of prisoners increased significantly, as many defectors deported from China were arrested in Chongori camp. Theoretically, prisoners should be released after reeducation through labor and serving their sentence, but since the prison sentences are very long and the conditions are very harsh, many do not survive their prison sentences. A former prisoner estimates, that during his eight months of detention, around 800 prisoners died from hard labor and sub-subsistence level food rations.

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