| Hwasong concentration camp | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 화성 제16호 관리소 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Hwaseong Je16ho Gwalliso |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hwasŏng Che16ho Kwalliso |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 화성 정치범수용소 |
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Hwaseong Jeongchibeom Suyongso |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hwasŏng Chŏngch'ibŏm Suyongso |
| Part of a series on |
| Human rights in North Korea |
|---|
 |
Hwasong concentration camp (Chosŏn'gŭl: 화성 제16호 관리소, also spelled Hwasŏng or Hwaseong) is a labor camp in North Korea for political prisoners. The official name is Kwan-li-so (Penal-labor colony) No. 16. As with other political prison camps located in North Korea, Camp 16 is highly secretive and isolated from the rest of the country. Prisoners, usually interned for life, are subject to harsh forced labor and treatment. The estimated prisoner population size is 20,000.
Located in the mountains of Hwasong County, the camp's activities mostly consist of logging, agriculture, and some industrial production. However, the camp is also notable for its proximity to the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, leading to suspicions over its connections to North Korea's development of nuclear weapons. Camp expansions in recent decades and changes in camp features indicate enhanced security measures and the need to accommodate increased prisoner populations and economic activities.