Total Control Zone

A report at the Daily NK on a North Korean defector:

A statement from a defector once confined to 22 years in a North Korea prison camp, has caught the attention of the public.

In April, a Japanese TV show, the Nippon TV made a report on a defector Shin Dong Hyuk (pseudonym, 24) who had escaped from Camp 14, a political prison camp located in Kaechon, South Pyongan, North Korea.

Camp 14 is one of many North Korean prison camps, but is particularly known for its strict regulation and control. Shin escaped from the camp in 2005 and defected to [South] Korea at the end of last year.

In order to reveal the truth about North Korea and the brutality of human rights to the world, Shin made a direct appearance on the program exposing his face on TV. Until now, there have been a number of people who have escaped the renown "revolutionizing zone" Yoduk Camp, but it is extremely rare for anyone to be able to escape the notorious total-control zone.

It is near to impossible to escape the total-control zone of Camp 14. Furthermore, the chances that a person will then successfully defect is even less. Hence, it is difficult to confirm the validity of Shin¡'s statement. Nonetheless, the probability that Shin was imprisoned at Camp 14 is high, governmental researchers claim...

At 11 years, Shin was separated from his mother and removed to a room where there were only men. It was a place where the windows were not made of glass but sheets of plastic. His only memories of the camp were eating corn and cabbage soup. He was not at all aware of Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il's existence.

Ahn Myung Chul, once a guard for a political camp explained, "There is no need to educate people born in the camps. That's why it is possible that these people have no knowledge of Kim Jong Il".

When Shin was 13, his mother and brother were caught while attempting escape. They were publicly executed. His brother was shot and his mother strangled to death. Shin was forced to watch this sitting in the first row. However, he did not feel any resent nor sadness. Through his interview, he revealed that he still did not have any such feelings.

Shin was also tortured because of this incident. He was hung in the underground gallows with his hands and legs tied together. Then he was burned with a brazier below his back. Shin was forced to work at the farms within the camp grounds. He woke up at 4AM and worked 12hour days. His scars incurred from the days living in the camp remain unto this day.

One day, Shin made a friend within the camp, who had once defected to China. It was then that Shin first heard about the outside world. It was then that Shin first heard stories about Kim Jong Il.

On January 2nd 2007, the two friends decided to escape while working in the mountains. Shin was able to cross the fence, while his friend held down the electric barbed wire. Shin bore severe scars due to the electric shock. Unfortunately, his friend died immediately. Afterwards, Shin hid in China for a year and at the end of last year, he defected to [South] Korea.

On the Total Control Zone:

There are two types of political prison camps operated by North Korean authorities to control and regulate the people.

The first is a "revolutionizing zone", where people with little threat to the existence of the regime are confined. After a period of forced labor and re-education, people may even have the chance to return to society. Yoduk Camp 15 located in South Kamkyung falls under this category.

On the other hand, the "total-control zone" is for malicious people that must be removed from North Korea completely. Once you are sentenced to this camp, you may never return to society and must live there eternally. People imprisoned in the "total-control zone" usually meet their death fatigued from forced labor.

As the people in the total-control zone are considered unworthy of revolutionary ideals, there aren't even any photos of Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il within the camp nor are there any ideological classes on Kim Il Sung's revolutionary history. In order to keep living, a person is forced to work 12~15 hours as a levy for some food. They must live in complete isolation and only engage in activities that will lead to production.