N. Korea locks up 154,000 political prisoners: lawmaker

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is operating six prison camps where
154,000 inmates remain locked up, a South Korean lawmaker said Saturday.

According to Yoon Sang-hyun from the ruling Grand National Party, the North had
around 10 such places holding about 200,000 political prisoners until the late
1990s. But the communist state closed down four of the camps in the face of
mounting criticism from other countries.
North Korea often denies holding any political prisoners, stressing that there
are no human rights abuse.
The lawmaker claimed that political prisoners are forced to work more than 10
hours a day and receive only 200 grams of foods a day. They are also denied
access to medical care, he said.
People incarcerated in the political prison camps include political opponents or
those who lost out in power struggles. Ordinary people are also imprisoned for
making disrespectful remarks about the country's leader Kim Jong-il.
sam@yna.co.kr
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