--- title: "Camp 15, Yodok: North Korea Prison Camp Dossier | Save North Korea" description: "Camp 15, Yodok (Political prison camp (kwanliso)): Reported closed or downsized, disputed. Located in South Hamgyong Province. Had a \"revolutionizing zone\" from which some prisoners were released, which is why most early camp testimony comes from here. Kang Chol-hwan (The Aquariums of Pyongyang) was held here as a child." url: "https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-15" language: en translations: en: https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-15 ko: https://savenorthkorea.org/ko/camps/kwanliso-15 ja: https://savenorthkorea.org/ja/camps/kwanliso-15 zh-Hans: https://savenorthkorea.org/zh/camps/kwanliso-15 --- [Prison camps](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps) · South Hamgyong Province Political prison camp · kwanliso # Camp 15, Yodok 15호 요덕 관리소 Camp 15 in Yodok County, South Hamgyong Province, is the most internationally documented North Korean political prison camp. It uniquely contained both a Total Control Zone and a "Revolutionizing Zone" (hyeokmyeonghwa guyeok) where prisoners could theoretically be released after ideological remolding. Prominent escapees Kang Chol-hwan (author of The Aquariums of Pyongyang) and An Hyuk were released from Yodok after serving sentences. **Unknown** prisoners no reliable published estimate **Closed** Reported closed or downsized, disputed **State Security** run by Bowibu Yodok · South Hamgyong Camp 15, Yodok · 39.6743°N, 126.8510°E [Google Maps ↗](https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6742705,126.8510413,13z/data=!3m1!1e3) · Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics [ Open on the intel map](https://savenorthkorea.org/map#camps=camp-2)[ Yodok county](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/yodok)[ How the camp system works](https://savenorthkorea.org/learn/north-korea-prison-camps) ## Satellite watch Captured 8 Oct 2026 Our own images of this 7.7 km square from the European Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites: the newest clear picture, and the clearest one from each of the last 24 months. One pixel is 10 m, enough to see roads, fields, ponds and large buildings, not people. ![Sentinel-2 satellite image of Camp 15, Yodok, 7.7 km across, captured 8 Oct 2026](https://savenorthkorea.org/img/sentinel/kwanliso-15/2026-10-08.jpg) ![Sentinel-2 satellite image of Camp 15, Yodok, 7.7 km across, captured 8 Oct 2025](https://savenorthkorea.org/img/sentinel/kwanliso-15/2025-10-08.jpg) 8 Oct 2025 8 Oct 2026 **Before: 8 Oct 2025** Cloud in this square: 0% Scene [S2C\_52SCJ\_20251008\_0\_L2A](https://earth-search.aws.element84.com/v1/collections/sentinel-2-l2a/items/S2C%5F52SCJ%5F20251008%5F0%5FL2A) [Open this day in Copernicus Browser ↗](https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/?zoom=13&lat=39.67427&lng=126.85104&themeId=DEFAULT-THEME&datasetId=S2%5FL2A%5FCDAS&fromTime=2025-10-08T00%3A00%3A00.000Z&toTime=2025-10-08T23%3A59%3A59.999Z&layerId=1%5FTRUE%5FCOLOR) **After: 8 Oct 2026** Cloud in this square: 0% Scene [S2A\_52SCJ\_20261008\_1\_L2A](https://earth-search.aws.element84.com/v1/collections/sentinel-2-l2a/items/S2A%5F52SCJ%5F20261008%5F1%5FL2A) [Open this day in Copernicus Browser ↗](https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/?zoom=13&lat=39.67427&lng=126.85104&themeId=DEFAULT-THEME&datasetId=S2%5FL2A%5FCDAS&fromTime=2026-10-08T00%3A00%3A00.000Z&toTime=2026-10-08T23%3A59%3A59.999Z&layerId=1%5FTRUE%5FCOLOR) Pick a month to compare with the latest image We pick each image by measuring cloud inside this square from the satellite’s own scene classification. Months with no clear image are left out. We do not mark or interpret anything in the pictures. The ring marks the point on our map. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024-2026 · [Copernicus Data Space](https://dataspace.copernicus.eu/) · [Sentinel-2 L2A COGs (AWS)](https://registry.opendata.aws/sentinel-2-l2a-cogs/) ## Crimes against humanity Whole families are sent to kwanliso without trial under guilt by association (yeonjwa-je). The 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry found these crimes in the political prison camps: - Extermination - Murder - Enslavement - Torture - Imprisonment - Rape - Forced abortion - Persecution - Enforced disappearance ## Sources - [**HRNK prison camp map** hrnk.org ↗ ](https://www.hrnk.org/) - [**Wikipedia** en.wikipedia.org ↗ ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yodok%5Fconcentration%5Fcamp) - [**UN Commission of Inquiry (2014)** ohchr.org ↗ ](https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/co-idprk/commission-inquiry-on-h-rin-dprk) ## Other facilities in South Hamgyong Province - [ © Esri, Maxar **Kyo-hwa-so No. 9, Hamhung** Prison · Operating (per HRNK) ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kyohwaso-9-hamhung) - [ © Esri, Maxar **Facility at I-gol** Political prison camp · Operating (per HRNK) ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/facility-at-i-gol) - [ © Esri, Maxar **Kyo-hwa-so No. 22, Oro** Prison · Reported closed ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kyohwaso-22-oro)