--- title: "Camp 18, Pukchang: North Korea Prison Camp Dossier | Save North Korea" description: "Camp 18, Pukchang (Political prison camp (kwanliso)): Reported closed or merged. Located in South Pyongan Province. Mining camp across the river from Camp 14. Reports suggest it was closed or merged in the 2000s, though parts may still be used." url: "https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-18" language: en translations: en: https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-18 ko: https://savenorthkorea.org/ko/camps/kwanliso-18 ja: https://savenorthkorea.org/ja/camps/kwanliso-18 zh-Hans: https://savenorthkorea.org/zh/camps/kwanliso-18 --- [Prison camps](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps) · South Pyongan Province Political prison camp · kwanliso # Camp 18, Pukchang 18호 북창 관리소 Camp 18 is located in Pukchang County, directly across the Taedong River from Camp 14\. Historically operated by the regular police (Ministry of Social Security) rather than secret police, it forced tens of thousands of prisoners into dangerous coal extraction for the Pukchang thermal power plant. Former prisoner Kim Yong provided comprehensive testimony after escaping. **\~27,000** prisoners HRNK estimate **Closed** Reported closed or merged **Social Security** run by Police Pukchang · South Pyongan Camp 18, Pukchang · 39.5596°N, 126.0860°E [Google Maps ↗](https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5596476,126.085968,13z/data=!3m1!1e3) · Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics [ Open on the intel map](https://savenorthkorea.org/map#camps=camp-5)[ Pukchang county](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/pukchang)[ How the camp system works](https://savenorthkorea.org/learn/north-korea-prison-camps) ## Satellite watch Captured 11 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 18, Pukchang, 7.7 km across, captured 11 Oct 2026](https://savenorthkorea.org/img/sentinel/kwanliso-18/2026-10-11.jpg) ![Sentinel-2 satellite image of Camp 18, Pukchang, 7.7 km across, captured 16 Oct 2025](https://savenorthkorea.org/img/sentinel/kwanliso-18/2025-10-16.jpg) 16 Oct 2025 11 Oct 2026 **Before: 16 Oct 2025** Cloud in this square: 0.24% Scene [S2B\_52SBJ\_20251016\_0\_L2A](https://earth-search.aws.element84.com/v1/collections/sentinel-2-l2a/items/S2B%5F52SBJ%5F20251016%5F0%5FL2A) [Open this day in Copernicus Browser ↗](https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/?zoom=13&lat=39.55965&lng=126.08597&themeId=DEFAULT-THEME&datasetId=S2%5FL2A%5FCDAS&fromTime=2025-10-16T00%3A00%3A00.000Z&toTime=2025-10-16T23%3A59%3A59.999Z&layerId=1%5FTRUE%5FCOLOR) **After: 11 Oct 2026** Cloud in this square: 0% Scene [S2B\_52SBJ\_20261011\_0\_L2A](https://earth-search.aws.element84.com/v1/collections/sentinel-2-l2a/items/S2B%5F52SBJ%5F20261011%5F0%5FL2A) [Open this day in Copernicus Browser ↗](https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/?zoom=13&lat=39.55965&lng=126.08597&themeId=DEFAULT-THEME&datasetId=S2%5FL2A%5FCDAS&fromTime=2026-10-11T00%3A00%3A00.000Z&toTime=2026-10-11T23%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/Pukchang%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 Pyongan Province - [ © Esri, Maxar **Camp 14, Kaechon** Political prison camp · Operating ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-14) - [ © Esri, Maxar **Kyo-hwa-so No. 11, Chung-san** Prison · Operating (per HRNK) ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kyohwaso-11-chungsan) - [ © Esri, Maxar **Sunchon Kyo-hwa-so** Prison · Operating (per HRNK) ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/sunchon-kyohwaso)