Kwanliso

Kwanliso (Korean: 관리소; Hanja: 管理所, Korean pronunciation: [kwanisʰo]) or kwalli-so in South Korean, (sometimes known as political prison camp, political labor camp, or concentration camp) is the term for political penal labor camps in North Korea. Imprisonment in them is the most severe form of punishment in the country besides capital punishment, and as a result, they have been described as concentration camps. They constitute one of three forms of political imprisonment in the country, the other two are "short-term detention/forced-labor centers" and "long-term prison labor camps", for misdemeanor and felony offenses respectively, according to the US-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. As of 2026 there are at least four kwanliso facilities in operation, with the largest being Hwasong. Durations of imprisonment are variable. However, many prisoners are sentenced to hard labor for their whole lives. Forced labor duties within kwanliso typically include work in mines (known examples of such work include coal, gold, and iron ore mining), tree felling, timber cutting, or agricultural duties. Furthermore, camps contain state run prison farms and furniture manufacturing centers. Estimates suggest that at the start of 2007, a total of six kwanliso camps were operating within the country. Despite fourteen kwanliso camps originally operating within North Korea, these later merged or were closed following the reallocation of prisoners.