Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
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Kwan-li-so (Penal-labor Colony) No. 16 Hwasong (ChosÅn'gÅl: íì± ì 16í¸ ê´ë¦¬ì), often known outside North Korea as the Hwasong concentration camp (Hangul: íì± ì ì¹ë²ìì©ì; also spelled HwasÅng or Hwaseong), is the largest political labor camp (kwalliso) in North Korea. Located in rural North Hamgyong Province, Hwasong is highly secretive and isolated from the rest of the country. Prisoners, usually imprisoned for life, are subject to harsh forced labor and treatment. The estimated prisoner population size is 20,000.
Source: Wikipedia article lead, CC-BY-SA.
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Figures from official sources · verified 28 May 2026 · methodology
Operator
êµê°ë³´ìì± ëì¥ê°ìêµPopulation held
Mixed/unknown
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Death-row facility
No
No conditions summary available yet.
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No mailing information available.
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No major issues documented in our database.
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Same country, matched on type + security level where possible.
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Under CC-BY-4.0. Include the URL and access date; the site is a living reference and entries can change.
World Prisons. (2026). Hwasong concentration camp. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hwasong-concentration-camp
"Hwasong concentration camp." World Prisons. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hwasong-concentration-camp.
@misc{worldprisons-hwasong-concentration-camp,
author = {{World Prisons}},
title = {Hwasong concentration camp},
year = {2026},
url = {https://worldprisons.com/prisons/hwasong-concentration-camp},
urldate = {2026-07-21}
}