Political Oppression In North Korea

What is Political Oppression? There is no international consensus on the definition of political oppression. Oppression is the prolonged cruel, unjust treatment, or control of a particular body of individuals. Political oppression asserts that the government is oppressing a body or group of individuals. One of the most well known cases of political oppression is the current situation in the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea.
Historical Context In the early 1950s, after the liberation from Japan and the end of World War II, Korea was left to establish a new political system and type of governance. Amidst the Cold War, one party believed Korea should side with the United States and establish a democracy and the other party
These camps have dated back to the 1950s to imprison families and individuals that had attempted escape to South Korea; however, new camps have been created throughout the nationhood of North Korea. Today, North Korea has build more prison camps to house more “defectors” and to test nuclear weapons. The United States has estimated there are approximately 175,000 political prisoners distributed through theses six internment camps. North Korea has a three tiered class system in which civilians are “labeled” by their loyalty to their leader. The top tiered elite class, most loyal to their leader, is haeksim kyechung, or the core class. It is estimated only 5- 25% of the population resides within this class. The middle tiered average class is known as the ton’yo kyechung, or the wavering class, comprised of 50-75% of the North Korean population. Finally the last class is joktae kyechung, or the hostile class. It is estimated that 8-27% of the North Korean population are considered to be hostile enemies of the state, and housed in political prison camps. Yodok and
It is located 68 miles northeast of Pyongyang, North Korea. The camp is approximately 145 square miles surrounded for a 14-foot tall barbed wire electric fence. The fence has 25-foot tall watchtowers along with 1000 heavily armed guards and dogs. There is a special section of the prison for “enemies of the state.” In 2013, North Korean Shin Dong-hyuk and several other prisoners escaped from the Yodok prison camp and fled the country. Most of the survivors had burns on their backs, scars on their heads, and other signs of torturous acts. The United Nations held a panel in Seoul, South Korea to hear the human rights violations occurring in these prison camps. Dong-hyuk described the public executions, forced abortions, and constant hunger he faced while imprisoned in Yodok. The survivors recounted that there were approximately 50,000 North Koreans imprisoned at Yodok. This number aligns with the previous estimate, led by the United Nations, which reports there are approximately 150,000 to 200,000 North Koreans wrongfully imprisoned in these prison camps.
The Kaechon prison camp is one of the first prison camps built in North Korea. It’s justification for construction was to house South Korean and democracy supporters after the Korean War had ended. Today Kaechon is filled primarily with North Koreans who have never lived outside the camp. As mentioned before, North Koreans are imprisoned