Shin Dong-hyuk (human rights activist)
Encyclopedia
Shin Dong-hyuk is a North Korean defector
living in South Korea
. He is the only known person to have escaped from a 'total-control zone' grade concentration camp in North Korea
. He has given testimony on his life in Kwan-li-so No. 14 Kaechon
to human rights organizations to raise awareness on the horrible situation in the camp.
Shin Dong-hyuk was born in a prison-labor colony as child of two prisoners in 1982. At the age of 14 he was brutally tortured, because his mother tried to escape, a part of his middle finger was hacked off and his back was severely burned. Later he was forced to watch the execution of his mother and brother. He was imprisoned for 22 years until he managed to flee the camp risking his life.
North Korean defectors
A number of individuals have defected from North Korea. Since the division of Korea after World War II and the end of the Korean War , many people have defected from North Korea, mainly for political, ideological, religious and economic reasons...
living in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. He is the only known person to have escaped from a 'total-control zone' grade concentration camp in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. He has given testimony on his life in Kwan-li-so No. 14 Kaechon
Kaechon internment camp
Kaechon internment camp is a labor camp in North Korea for political prisoners. The official name is Kwan-li-so No. 14. It is not to be confused with Kaechon concentration camp Kaechon internment camp (Hangeul: , also spelled Kae'chŏn or Gaecheon) is a labor camp in North Korea for political...
to human rights organizations to raise awareness on the horrible situation in the camp.
Shin Dong-hyuk was born in a prison-labor colony as child of two prisoners in 1982. At the age of 14 he was brutally tortured, because his mother tried to escape, a part of his middle finger was hacked off and his back was severely burned. Later he was forced to watch the execution of his mother and brother. He was imprisoned for 22 years until he managed to flee the camp risking his life.
External links
- Life Funds for North Korean Refugees (NGO) - Political prisoner Shin Dong-hyuk tells about his life in the camp
- Born and raised in a North Korean gulag - New York Times, July 7, 2007
- Escapee Tells of Horrors in North Korean Prison Camp - Washington Post, December 11, 2008
- Daily NK: Escape from “Total Control Zone” - North Korea’s Papillon – The Daily NK, May 11, 2007
- Google Tech Talks: Born and raised in a concentration camp