Description
Yodok camp has two parts:
- The total control zone (Chosŏn'gŭl: 특별독재대상구역), with the prison labor colonies Pyongchang-ri and Yongpyong-ri, is for people who authorities believe have committed crimes against the regime or who have been denounced as politically unreliable (e.g. returnees from Japan or Christians). These prisoners are never released.
- The revolutionary zone (Chosŏn'gŭl: 혁명화대상구역), with reeducation camps Ipsok-ri, Kuup-ri and Daesuk-ri, is to punish people for less serious political crimes (e.g. illegally leaving the country, listening to South Korean broadcasts, or criticizing government policy). These prisoners are eventually released after serving their sentences.
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 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, a Japanese television station aired what it said was footage showing scenes from the camp.
Read more about this topic: Yodok Concentration Camp
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