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Hwasong Concentration Camp
Hwasong concentration camp (Chosŏn'gŭl: , also spelled Hwasŏng or Hwaseong) is a labor camp in North Korea for political prisoners. The official name is Kwan-li-so (Penal-labor colony) No. 16. Location The camp is located in Hwasong County ( Myonggan County), North Hamgyong Province in North Korea. It is situated along the upper reaches of the Hwasong River in a secluded mountain valley. The western border is Mantapsan, a mountain. On the north and east sides, the camp reaches the Orangchon River valley. The entrance gate is right on the Hwasong River and on the road from Hwasong, west of Hwasong-up (Myonggan-up). The camp is not included in maps, but the entrance gate and the ring fence with watchtowers can be recognized on satellite images. Description Hwasong camp is a penal-labor colony in which detainees are imprisoned for life with no chance to be released. With around in area it is the largest prison camp in North Korea. Puhwa-ri (Chosŏn'gŭl: ), north of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chosŏn'gŭl
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's Revised Romanization of Korean, standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs used to pronounce them, and they are systematically modified to indicate phonetic features; similarly, the vowel letters are systematically modified for related sounds, making Hangul a featural writing system. It has been described as a syllabic alphabet as it combines the features of alphabetic and Syllabic writing system, syllabic writing systems, although it is not necessarily an abugida. Hangul was created in 1443 CE by King Sejong the Great in an attempt to increase literacy by serving as a complement (or alternative) to the logogram, logographic Sino-Korean vocabulary, Sino-Korean ''Hanja'', which had been used by Koreans as its p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen River, Tumen rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. North Korea's border with South Korea is a disputed border as both countries claim the entirety of the Korean Peninsula. The country's western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. North Korea, like South Korea, its southern counterpart, claims to be the legitimate government of the entire peninsula and List of islands of North Korea, adjacent islands. Pyongyang is the capital and largest city. In 1910, Korean Empire, Korea was Korea under Japanese rule, annexed by the Empire of Japan. In 1945, after the Surrender of Japan, Japanese surrender at the End of World War II in Asia, end ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kwalliso
North Korea's political penal labor colonies, transliterated ''kwalliso'' or ''kwan-ri-so'', constitute one of three forms of political imprisonment in the country, the other two being what David Hawk translated as "short-term detention/forced-labor centers" and "long-term prison labor camps", for misdemeanor and felony offenses respectively. In total, there are an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners. Durations of imprisonment are variable, however, many are condemned to labor for life. Forced labor duties within ''kwalliso'' typically include forced labor in mines (known examples including coal, gold, and iron ore), tree felling, timber cutting, or agricultural duties. Furthermore, camps contain state run prison farms, furniture manufacturing, etc. Estimates suggest that at the start of 2007, a total of six ''kwalliso'' camps were operating within the country. Despite fourteen ''kwalliso'' camps originally operating within North Korea, these later merged or wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myonggan County
Myŏnggan County, formerly known as Hwasŏng County, is a ''kun'', or county, in North Hamgyong province, North Korea. Unlike many Korean districts that date from the Joseon Dynasty, Hwasong was created after liberation. Yŏngan was established in 1952, separated from Myongchon County, Myŏngch'ŏn. In 1967 Yŏngan was renamed to Myŏnggan, in 1981 to Hwasŏng, and in 2004 to Myŏnggan. Myŏnggan abuts the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea). Most of the land is rugged, with only one small plain along the Hwasongchon stream. The highest point in the county is Kiunbong. There are no ports, and the coastline is distinctively monotonous. The chief streams of the county are the Ŏrangch'ŏn (Chosŏn'gŭl: 어랑천, Hancha: 漁郎川) and Myŏngganch'ŏn (Chosŏn'gŭl: 명간천, Hancha: 明澗川). More than 80% of the county is taken up by forestland. Myŏnggan is known for its pear orchards. In addition, livestock are widely raised. There are also coal mines in the county. Hwasong c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Hamgyong Province
North Hamgyong Province (Hamgyŏngbukdo, ) is the northernmost province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Hamgyong Province. Geography The province is bordered by China (Jilin) on the north, South Hamgyong on the southwest and Ryanggang on the west. On the east is the Sea of Japan. The province is home to the Musudan-ri rocket launching site and the Hoeryong concentration camp. In 2004, Rason was reabsorbed back into the province and since 2010, Rason is again a Directly Governed City. Economy In critical studies of North Korea, North Hamgyong has a reputation as a neglected and underdeveloped region even by the country's standards. It was where the 1990s famine hit hardest, and food shortages persist even in the 2020s. The majority of North Korean defectors who live in South Korea came from the province after crossing the relatively shallow Tumen River into China. Therefore the conditions of the province, which analyst Fyodor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mantapsan
Mantapsan (or Mount Mant'ap, Chosŏn'gŭl: ) is a mountain in the south of North Hamgyong Province in North Korea. The granite peak, which reaches an elevation of , is part of the Hamgyong Mountains. It is located on the border between Kilju County, Myŏnggan County and Orang County. Political prisoners were reportedly forced to dig tunnels into the southern side of the mountain, at the nuclear test site near P'unggye-ri. The horizontal tunnels are believed to be two to three meters wide and high and hundreds of meters long. This is where the detonations of the North Korean nuclear tests in 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2016 occurred. International analysts believe that the sixth and largest explosion, to this date the last, "made the mountain bulge sideways by about 12 feet and collapse vertically by about a foot and a half", with one seismologist describing the subsequent reaction as the mountain "pancaking". Hwasong concentration camp, at the largest North Korean concentration ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim Il-sung, the first Supreme Leader, until his own death in 2011, when he was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong-un. In the early 1980s, Kim had become the heir apparent for the leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and assumed important posts in the party and army organs. Kim succeeded his father and DPRK founder Kim Il-sung, following the elder Kim's death in 1994. Kim was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), WPK Presidium, Chairman of the National Defence Commission (NDC) of North Korea and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), the fourth-largest standing army in the world. Kim ruled North Korea as a repressive and totalitarian dictatorship. Kim assumed leadership duri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site
Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site () was the only known nuclear test site of North Korea. Nuclear tests were conducted at the site in October 2006, May 2009, February 2013, January 2016, September 2016, and September 2017. Geography The site was established in the early 2000s and has three visible tunnel entrances. Based on satellite imagery, its exact location is in mountainous terrain in Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province. It is south of Mantapsan, west of Hwasong concentration camp and northwest of the Punggye-ri village. The most proximate settlement to the possible nuclear underground test site is Chik-tong, a small populated place located at . Sungjibaegam is a settlement located from the tremor of the 2013 test. Punggye-ri railway station is located at . History In January 2013, Google Maps was updated to include various locations in North Korea. On 8 April 2013, it was reported that South Korea had observed activity at Punggye-ri, suggesting that a fou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and supporters around the world. The stated mission of the organization is to campaign for "a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments." The organization has played a notable role on human rights issues due to its frequent citation in media and by world leaders. AI was founded in London in 1961 by the lawyer Peter Benenson. Its original focus was prisoners of conscience, with its remit widening in the 1970s, under the leadership of Seán MacBride and Martin Ennals to include miscarriages of justice and torture. In 1977, it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In the 1980s, its secretary general was Thomas Hammarberg, succeeded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hoeryong Concentration Camp
Hoeryong concentration camp (or Haengyong concentration camp) was a prison camp in North Korea that was reported to have been closed in 2012. The official name was Kwalliso (penal labour colony) No. 22. The camp was a maximum security area, completely isolated from the outside world. In 2012, satellite image analysis and reports indicated major changes including its reported closure. Location Camp 22 was located in Hoeryong County, North Hamgyong province, in northeast North Korea, near the border with China. It was situated in a large valley with many side valleys, surrounded by high mountains. The southwest gate of the camp was located around northeast of downtown Hoeryong, while the main gate was located around southeast of Kaishantun in China's Jilin province. The western boundary of the camp runs parallel to, and at a distance of from, the Tumen River, which forms the border with China. The camp was not included in maps until recently and the North Korean government has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Human Rights In North Korea
The human rights record of North Korea is often considered to be the worst in the world and has been globally condemned, with the United Nations, the European Union and groups such as Human Rights Watch all critical of the country's record. Most international human rights organizations consider North Korea to have no contemporary parallel with respect to violations of liberty. Western human rights groups such as Amnesty International and nations such as the United States have asserted that, in practice, there is no right to free speech, and the only media providers that are deemed legal are those operated by the government in North Korea. According to reports from Amnesty International and the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, by 2017 an estimated 200,000 prisoners were incarcerated in camps that are dedicated to political crimes, and subjected to forced labour, physical abuse, and execution. The North Korean government strictly monitors the activities of for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prisons In North Korea
North Korean prisons have conditions that are unsanitary, life-threatening and are comparable to historical concentration camps. A significant number of prisoners have died each year, since they are subject to torture and inhumane treatment. Public and secret executions of prisoners, even children, especially in cases of attempted escape, are commonplace. Infanticides (and infant killings upon birth) also often occur. The mortality rate is exceptionally high, because many prisoners die of starvation, illnesses, work accidents, or torture. During the height of the North Korean famine, the government’s response was to set up many low-level labor camps for those who were caught crossing the North Korean-Chinese border or were repatriated from China. These labor training facilities were also used in response to the black market activity that resulted in people searching for food throughout the countryside (Haggard & Noland, 2012). In 2004, these “labor training” facilities were m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
