Prison Camps · South Pyongan Province · Kwanliso
Ch’oma-bong Restricted Area (처마봉 통제구역)
Political prison camp (kwanliso)
Operating (per HRNK)Operated by: Ministry of State Security
The Ch’oma-bong Restricted Area in South Pyongan Province encompasses an isolated mountain enclave restricted from general civilian entry and guarded by dedicated sentries.
System Context & Human Rights Documentation
Political penal colonies like Ch’oma-bong Restricted Area form the foundation of North Korea's state terror apparatus. Under the principle of three generations of punishment (yeonjwa-je), the relatives of those suspected of political crimes, including small children and elderly parents, are incarcerated without judicial trial. The 2014 United Nations Commission of Inquiry found that the crimes committed inside these camps (extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, rape, and forced abortions) constitute crimes against humanity.