Kaechon concentration camp (also spelled Kaech'ŏn or Gaecheon) is a prison in North Korea with many political prisoners. The official name is Kyo-hwa-so (Reeducation camp) No. 1. It is not to be confused with Kaechon internment camp (Kwan-li-so Nr. 14), which is located 20 km (12 mi) to the south-east.
The camp is located in Kae'chŏn county, P'yŏngan-namdo province in North Korea. 39°30'10"N 125°45'35"E It is situated on the outskirts of Kaechon city, around 2.5 km (1.6 mi) east of the city center, behind a little hill.[1]
Descriptionedit
Kaechon concentration camp is a large prison compound, around 300 m (1000 feet) long and 300 m (1000 feet) wide, surrounded by a 4 m (13 feet) high wall with barbed wire on top.[2] The prisoners, around 4000 men and 2000 women (in 1992), are political prisoners mixed with common criminals. Theoretically prisoners should be released after reeducation through labor and serving their sentence. But as the prison sentences are very long and the conditions are extremely harsh, many do not survive their prison sentences. Ji Hae-nam estimates that during her sentence of two years around 20% of the prisoners died.[3]
Purposeedit
The main purpose of Kaechon camp is to punish people for less-serious crimes, whereas political crimes (e. g. criticism of the government) are considered a severe offense. But the prisoners are also used as slave workers, who have to fulfill high production quotas in very difficult conditions. For this purpose there is a shoe making factory, a leather and rubber factory, a clothing factory and other factories in the camp.[4]
Human rights situationedit
The human rights situation in the camp is described in detail by Lee Soon-ok in her testimony to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. She explains how the prisoners have no rights and how they are treated at the mercy of the guards.[4]
Forced labouredit
The prisoners are forced to work around 18 hours per day at the camp's factories. If someone does not work quickly enough, he or she is beaten. Sometimes prisoners sleep at their workplaces to fulfill the production quota. All this involves frequent work accidents and many prisoners are crippled from the work or from torture.[5]
Health and sanitationedit
Prisoners are forced to sleep in a room with 80 to 90 people in 30 square metre (322 square feet) flea-infested rooms. Prisoners are only occasionally allowed to use the toilet (one for about 300 people) and may only take a shower after several months. Diseases like paratyphus are common, resulting from the bad nutrition.[4]
Malnutritionedit
Food rations are 100 grams of broken corn three times a day and a salt soup. In case of rule violations food rations are reduced. Lee Soon-ok reported that prisoners even killed rats and ate them raw in order to survive.[6]
Tortureedit
There are 78 punishment cells in the camp, each 60 cm (24 inches) wide and 110 cm (43 inches) high, where prisoners are locked up several days. Afterwards many of them are unable to walk and some even die. Prisoners are often beaten, kicked or whipped. Lee Soon-ok was tortured being forced to drink a large quantity of water until she fainted (water torture) and almost died. During her sentence she witnessed many types of torture.[7]
Homicides and Infanticidesedit
Pregnant women are forced to have abortions by injections. Lee Soon-ok witnessed babies born alive being murdered directly after birth.[8]
Executionsedit
As with all the prison camps, public executions are commonplace and usually done in front of all of the prisoners.[9]
Prisoners (witnesses)edit
Lee Soon-ok (1987–1992 in Kaechon) was imprisoned on alleged embezzlement of state property, when she refused to put material on the side for her superior. She was sentenced to 13 years in a prison camp, but released earlier under a surprise amnesty.[4]
Ji Hae-nam (1993–1995 in Kaechon) was imprisoned on disruption of the socialist order, as she sang a South Korean pop song and was denounced by a neighbor. She was sentenced to 3 years in a prison camp, but released after 2 years and 2 months.[3]
– Lee Soon-oks testimony to the US Senate Judiciary Committee June 21, 2002
Committee for Human Rights in North Korea – Overview on North Korean Prison Camps with Testimonies and Satellite Photographs
– Collection of testimonies
Witness reveals horror of North Korean gulag - Report on prison camps, The Guardian, July 19, 2002
A survivor: Soon Ok Lee – 7 years of torture in N. Korean prison camp – Report on Lee Soon-Ok, MSNBC, October 28, 2003
Satellite imagery and witness accounts of North Korean political prison and reeducation camps
Bibliographyedit
Lee, Soon Ok. Eyes of the Tailless Animals: Prison Memoirs of a North Korean Woman. Living Sacrifice Book Co, 1999, ISBN978-0-88264-335-9
Referencesedit
^Google Maps: Kaechon city and the concentration camp, Updated: August 12, 2009
^Committee for Human Rights in North Korea: Satellite Imagery of the North Korean Gulag: Kyo-hwa-so No. 1 Kaechon Overview, p. 225
^ abCommittee for Human Rights in North Korea: The Hidden Gulag (Section: Testimony Kyo-hwa-so No. 1 Kaechon, p. 100 - 105)
^ abcd. Archived from the original on December 20, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
^Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights: Life in Kaechon Indoctrination Camp
^A survivor: Soon Ok Lee – 7 years of torture in N. Korean prison camp, October 28, 2003, NBC News
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2004. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
^Brooke, James (June 10, 2002). "Defectors From North Korea Tell of Prison Baby Killings". The New York Times.
^"United States Senate Hearings: Testimony of Ms. Soon Ok Lee, June 21, 2002". Archived from the original on September 22, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
kaechon, concentration, camp, also, spelled, kaech, gaecheon, prison, north, korea, with, many, political, prisoners, official, name, reeducation, camp, confused, with, kaechon, internment, camp, kwan, which, located, south, east, chosŏn, gŭl개천, 제1호교화소hancha价川. Kaechon concentration camp also spelled Kaech ŏn or Gaecheon is a prison in North Korea with many political prisoners The official name is Kyo hwa so Reeducation camp No 1 It is not to be confused with Kaechon internment camp Kwan li so Nr 14 which is located 20 km 12 mi to the south east Kaechon concentration campChosŏn gŭl개천 제1호교화소Hancha价川第一號敎化所Revised RomanizationGaecheon Je1ho GyohwasoMcCune ReischauerKaechŏn Che1ho KyohwasoChosŏn gŭl개천 정치범 수용소Hancha价川政治犯收容所Revised RomanizationGaecheon Jeongchibeom SuyongsoMcCune ReischauerKaechŏn Chŏngch ibŏm Suyongso Contents 1 Location 2 Description 3 Purpose 4 Human rights situation 4 1 Forced labour 4 2 Health and sanitation 4 3 Malnutrition 4 4 Torture 4 5 Homicides and Infanticides 4 6 Executions 5 Prisoners witnesses 6 See also 7 External links 8 Bibliography 9 ReferencesLocation edit nbsp nbsp Kaechon nbsp Pyongyangclass notpageimage Location of Kaechon camp in North Korea The camp is located in Kae chŏn county P yŏngan namdo province in North Korea 39 30 10 N 125 45 35 E It is situated on the outskirts of Kaechon city around 2 5 km 1 6 mi east of the city center behind a little hill 1 Description editKaechon concentration camp is a large prison compound around 300 m 1000 feet long and 300 m 1000 feet wide surrounded by a 4 m 13 feet high wall with barbed wire on top 2 The prisoners around 4000 men and 2000 women in 1992 are political prisoners mixed with common criminals Theoretically prisoners should be released after reeducation through labor and serving their sentence But as the prison sentences are very long and the conditions are extremely harsh many do not survive their prison sentences Ji Hae nam estimates that during her sentence of two years around 20 of the prisoners died 3 Purpose editThe main purpose of Kaechon camp is to punish people for less serious crimes whereas political crimes e g criticism of the government are considered a severe offense But the prisoners are also used as slave workers who have to fulfill high production quotas in very difficult conditions For this purpose there is a shoe making factory a leather and rubber factory a clothing factory and other factories in the camp 4 Human rights situation editThe human rights situation in the camp is described in detail by Lee Soon ok in her testimony to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary She explains how the prisoners have no rights and how they are treated at the mercy of the guards 4 Forced labour edit The prisoners are forced to work around 18 hours per day at the camp s factories If someone does not work quickly enough he or she is beaten Sometimes prisoners sleep at their workplaces to fulfill the production quota All this involves frequent work accidents and many prisoners are crippled from the work or from torture 5 Health and sanitation edit Prisoners are forced to sleep in a room with 80 to 90 people in 30 square metre 322 square feet flea infested rooms Prisoners are only occasionally allowed to use the toilet one for about 300 people and may only take a shower after several months Diseases like paratyphus are common resulting from the bad nutrition 4 Malnutrition edit Food rations are 100 grams of broken corn three times a day and a salt soup In case of rule violations food rations are reduced Lee Soon ok reported that prisoners even killed rats and ate them raw in order to survive 6 Torture edit There are 78 punishment cells in the camp each 60 cm 24 inches wide and 110 cm 43 inches high where prisoners are locked up several days Afterwards many of them are unable to walk and some even die Prisoners are often beaten kicked or whipped Lee Soon ok was tortured being forced to drink a large quantity of water until she fainted water torture and almost died During her sentence she witnessed many types of torture 7 Homicides and Infanticides edit Pregnant women are forced to have abortions by injections Lee Soon ok witnessed babies born alive being murdered directly after birth 8 Executions edit As with all the prison camps public executions are commonplace and usually done in front of all of the prisoners 9 Prisoners witnesses editLee Soon ok 1987 1992 in Kaechon was imprisoned on alleged embezzlement of state property when she refused to put material on the side for her superior She was sentenced to 13 years in a prison camp but released earlier under a surprise amnesty 4 Ji Hae nam 1993 1995 in Kaechon was imprisoned on disruption of the socialist order as she sang a South Korean pop song and was denounced by a neighbor She was sentenced to 3 years in a prison camp but released after 2 years and 2 months 3 See also editHuman rights in North Korea Prisons in North Korea Yodok concentration camp Kaechon internment camp Lee Soon Ok Eyes of the Tailless Animals Prison Memoirs of a North Korean WomanExternal links editUnited States Senate Hearings Testimony of Ms Soon Ok Lee Lee Soon oks testimony to the US Senate Judiciary Committee June 21 2002 Committee for Human Rights in North Korea Overview on North Korean Prison Camps with Testimonies and Satellite Photographs Daily NK North Korean crimes against humanity Collection of testimonies Witness reveals horror of North Korean gulag Report on prison camps The Guardian July 19 2002 A survivor Soon Ok Lee 7 years of torture in N Korean prison camp Report on Lee Soon Ok MSNBC October 28 2003 Satellite imagery and witness accounts of North Korean political prison and reeducation campsBibliography editLee Soon Ok Eyes of the Tailless Animals Prison Memoirs of a North Korean Woman Living Sacrifice Book Co 1999 ISBN 978 0 88264 335 9References edit Google Maps Kaechon city and the concentration camp Updated August 12 2009 Committee for Human Rights in North Korea Satellite Imagery of the North Korean Gulag Kyo hwa so No 1 Kaechon Overview p 225 a b Committee for Human Rights in North Korea The Hidden Gulag Section Testimony Kyo hwa so No 1 Kaechon p 100 105 a b c d United States Senate Hearings Testimony of Ms Soon Ok Lee June 21 2002 Archived from the original on December 20 2012 Retrieved November 25 2011 Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights Life in Kaechon Indoctrination Camp A survivor Soon Ok Lee 7 years of torture in N Korean prison camp October 28 2003 NBC News Testimony of Ms Soon Ok Lee with illustrations May 2 2002 PDF Archived from the original PDF on July 2 2004 Retrieved October 13 2009 Brooke James June 10 2002 Defectors From North Korea Tell of Prison Baby Killings The New York Times United States Senate Hearings Testimony of Ms Soon Ok Lee June 21 2002 Archived from the original on September 22 2008 Retrieved October 13 2009 39 42 30 N 125 55 24 E 39 708276 N 125 923276 E 39 708276 125 923276 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kaechon concentration camp amp oldid 1170710219, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
