Prison Camps · South Pyongan Province · Kwanliso
Camp 18, Pukchang (18호 북창 관리소)
Political prison camp (kwanliso)
Reported closed or merged~27,000 estimated prisonersOperated by: Ministry of Social Security (Police)
Camp 18 is located in Pukchang County, directly across the Taedong River from Camp 14. Historically operated by the regular police (Ministry of Social Security) rather than secret police, it forced tens of thousands of prisoners into dangerous coal extraction for the Pukchang thermal power plant. Former prisoner Kim Yong provided comprehensive testimony after escaping.
System Context & Human Rights Documentation
Political penal colonies like Camp 18, Pukchang 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.