--- title: "Camp 16, Hwasong: North Korea Prison Camp Dossier | Save North Korea" description: "Camp 16, Hwasong (Political prison camp (kwanliso)): Operating. Located in North Hamgyong Province. The largest known political prison camp, a few km from the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. Tens of thousands of prisoners estimated." url: "https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-16" language: en translations: en: https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-16 ko: https://savenorthkorea.org/ko/camps/kwanliso-16 ja: https://savenorthkorea.org/ja/camps/kwanliso-16 zh-Hans: https://savenorthkorea.org/zh/camps/kwanliso-16 --- [Prison camps](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps) · North Hamgyong Province Political prison camp · kwanliso # Camp 16, Hwasong 16호 화성 관리소 Camp 16 in Hwasong County, North Hamgyong Province, covers approximately 560 square kilometers, making it the geographically largest known detention facility in North Korea. Located in high mountain valleys near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, satellite imagery indicates active forestry, agriculture, and mining operations staffed by an estimated 20,000 political prisoners. **\~20,000** prisoners HRNK estimate **Active** Operating **State Security** run by Bowibu Myonggan · North Hamgyong Camp 16, Hwasong · 41.2870°N, 129.2684°E [Google Maps ↗](https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2869653,129.2683983,13z/data=!3m1!1e3) · Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics [ Open on the intel map](https://savenorthkorea.org/map#camps=camp-3)[ Myonggan county](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/myonggan)[ 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 16, Hwasong, 7.7 km across, captured 8 Oct 2026](https://savenorthkorea.org/img/sentinel/kwanliso-16/2026-10-08.jpg) ![Sentinel-2 satellite image of Camp 16, Hwasong, 7.7 km across, captured 3 Oct 2025](https://savenorthkorea.org/img/sentinel/kwanliso-16/2025-10-03.jpg) 3 Oct 2025 8 Oct 2026 **Before: 3 Oct 2025** Cloud in this square: 0% Scene [S2B\_52TEL\_20251003\_0\_L2A](https://earth-search.aws.element84.com/v1/collections/sentinel-2-l2a/items/S2B%5F52TEL%5F20251003%5F0%5FL2A) [Open this day in Copernicus Browser ↗](https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/?zoom=13&lat=41.28697&lng=129.26840&themeId=DEFAULT-THEME&datasetId=S2%5FL2A%5FCDAS&fromTime=2025-10-03T00%3A00%3A00.000Z&toTime=2025-10-03T23%3A59%3A59.999Z&layerId=1%5FTRUE%5FCOLOR) **After: 8 Oct 2026** Cloud in this square: 0% Scene [S2B\_52TEL\_20261008\_0\_L2A](https://earth-search.aws.element84.com/v1/collections/sentinel-2-l2a/items/S2B%5F52TEL%5F20261008%5F0%5FL2A) [Open this day in Copernicus Browser ↗](https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/?zoom=13&lat=41.28697&lng=129.26840&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/Hwasong%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 North Hamgyong Province - [ © Esri, Maxar **Camp 25, Chongjin** Political prison camp · Operating, expanded in the 2010s ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-25) - [ © Esri, Maxar **Camp 22, Hoeryong** Political prison camp · Closed \~2012 ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-22) - [ © Esri, Maxar **Facility at Udan** Political prison camp · Operating (per HRNK) ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/facility-at-udan)