Yodok concentration camp
| Yodok concentration camp | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 요덕 제15호 관리소 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Yodeok Je Sipo-ho Gwalliso |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yodŏk Che Sibo-ho Kwalliso |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 요덕 정치범수용소 |
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Yodeok Jeongchibeum Suyongso |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yodŏk Chŏngch'ibŏm Suyongso |
Yodok concentration camp (also romanized Yodŏk, Yodeok, or Yoduk) is a political prison camp in North Korea. The official name is Kwan-li-so (penal labour colony) No. 15. The camp is used to segregate those seen as enemies of the state, punish them for political misdemeanors, and exploit them with hard labour.
Yodok camp is about 110 km (68 mi) northeast of Pyongyang. It is located in Yodok county, South Hamgyong province, stretching into the valley of the Ipsok River, surrounded by mountains: Paek-san 1,742 m (5,715 ft) to the north, Modo-san 1,833 m (6,014 ft) to the northwest, Tok-san 1,250 m (4,100 ft) to the west, and Byeongpung-san 1,152 m (3,780 ft) to the south. The entrance to the valley is the 1,250 m (4,100 ft) Chaebong Pass to the east. The streams from the valleys of these mountains form the Ipsok River, which flows downstream into the Yonghung River and eventually into the sea near Wonsan city.
Yodok camp has two parts:
In the 1990s, the total control zone had an estimated 30,000 prisoners while the smaller revolutionary zone had about 16,500 prisoners; recent satellite images, however, indicate a significant increase in the camp's scale. Most prisoners are deported to Yodok without trial, or following grossly unfair trials, on the basis of confessions obtained through torture. People are often imprisoned together with family members and close relatives, including small children and the elderly, based on guilt by association (Sippenhaft).
The camp is around 378 km2 (146 sq mi) in area. It is surrounded by a barbed-wire fence 3–4 m (9.8–13.1 ft) tall and walls with electric wire and watchtowers at regular intervals. The camp is patrolled by 1,000 guards with automatic rifles and guard dogs.
In 2004, Fuji TV aired what it said was footage showing scenes from the camp.
The prisoners live in dusty huts with walls made of dried mud, a roof (rotten and leaking) made of straw laid on wooden planks, and a floor covered with straw and dry plant mats. In a room of around 50 m2 (540 sq ft), 30–40 prisoners sleep on a bed made of a wooden board covered with a blanket. Most huts are not heated, even in winter, where temperatures are below −20 °C (−4 °F), and most prisoners get frostbite and have swollen limbs during the winter. Camp inmates also suffer from pneumonia, tuberculosis, pellagra, and other diseases, with no available medical treatment.
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