An American non-governmental organization (NGO) said that North Korea may have mobilized inmates from nearby political prison camps for the construction and maintenance of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in Gilju County, North Hamgyong Province.
In a report on the 17th (local time), the U.S. NGO Human Rights Committee for North Korea (HRNK) said that a 5.2km unpaved road connecting the Punggye-ri nuclear test site and the Hwaseong political prison camp (Kwanliso No. 16) was captured in a satellite photo in October last year, showing that prisoners at the kwanliso were captured through this. The Voice of America (VOA) reported that they raised the possibility that they were forcibly mobilized to build and maintain nuclear test sites.
Jacob Bogle, a private satellite analyst and co-author of the report, said at the announcement event, “This road is intentionally carved into the mountain, allowing vehicles such as cargo trucks, which are common in North Korea and often used to transport people, to travel.” “North Korea, which relies on manual labor and outdated equipment due to a lack of modern mining equipment, would have needed a huge amount of manpower in addition to heavy equipment,” he explained.
He continued, “Considering the number of prisoners in Camp No. 16, previously estimated at over 20,000, and the sensitivity of nuclear test site construction, there is a possibility that political prisoners, whom the North Korean regime can completely control, were deployed to construct the tunnel,” adding, “Political prisoners were placed at the nuclear test site.” He argued, “There would have been no qualms about their exposure to risks such as radioactive contamination during the process of investing in construction and maintenance.”
However, HRNK did not secure direct testimony to prove the connection between the two facilities, leaving open the possibility that “the road in question may have been used to transport observation instruments to the test site or for reconnaissance.”
HRNK Secretary-General Greg Scarlatu told Radio Free Asia (RFA), “This road could be used not only for the mobilization of prisoners for forced labor, but also as a place to hide related equipment used in nuclear testing,” adding, “Without verification of the Mars detention camp, it is virtually impossible.” “Complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization is impossible,” he said.
According to satellite image analysis reports by HRNK and Amnesty International, the area of Camp No. 16 is 560㎢, which is known to be the largest among political prison camps in North Korea.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.