---
title: "Kyo-hwa-so No. 9, Hamhung: North Korea Prison Camp Dossier | Save North Korea"
description: "Kyo-hwa-so No. 9, Hamhung (Prison (kyohwaso)): Operating (per HRNK). Located in South Hamgyong Province. Also transliterated as Hamheung, the 2011 NKDB report locates Kyo-hwa-so No. 9, Hamhung Men’s Prison at Hoeyang, Hoesang Area, Hamhung City, while Hamhung Women’s Prison is located at Songwon Village, which is also spelled as Sungwon, Hoesang Area, Hamhung City.  500 Type of prisoners: Men, women, political prisoners, forcibly repatriated women Type of Labor: Sewing, farming, gold mining A second location associated with this camp known as Hamhung Women's Prison is located in Sungwon-ri at 40° 3"
url: "https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kyohwaso-9-hamhung"
language: en
translations:
  en: https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kyohwaso-9-hamhung
  ko: https://savenorthkorea.org/ko/camps/kyohwaso-9-hamhung
  ja: https://savenorthkorea.org/ja/camps/kyohwaso-9-hamhung
  zh-Hans: https://savenorthkorea.org/zh/camps/kyohwaso-9-hamhung
---

[Prison camps](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps) · South Hamgyong Province

Prison · kyohwaso 

# Kyo-hwa-so No. 9, Hamhung

9호 함흥 교화소

Kyohwaso No. 9 in Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province, is located in North Korea’s primary chemical and manufacturing hub. Inmates perform forced labor in toxic chemical processing and regional plant maintenance.

**Unknown** prisoners no reliable published estimate 

**Active** Operating (per HRNK) 

**Social Security** run by 

Hamhung City · South Hamgyong

Kyo-hwa-so No. 9, Hamhung · 39.9577°N, 127.5632°E [Google Maps ↗](https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9576574,127.5631502,15z/data=!3m1!1e3) · Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics 

[ Open on the intel map](https://savenorthkorea.org/map#camps=camp-11)[ Hamhung City county](https://savenorthkorea.org/counties/hamhung)[ How the camp system works](https://savenorthkorea.org/learn/north-korea-prison-camps)

## Who is held here

- Men
- Women
- Political prisoners
- Forcibly repatriated women

## Forced labor

- Sewing
- Farming
- Gold mining

## Also known as

- Hamheung

HRNK ties one more site to this facility.

## Why people end up here

Kyohwaso hold people sentenced through the regular courts. Sentences are set in years, but hunger, beatings and heavy labor kill many before release. Common charges:

- Illegal trading
- Smuggling across the border
- Watching foreign media
- Trying to escape to China

## Sources

- [**HRNK prison camp map** hrnk.org ↗ ](https://www.hrnk.org/)
- [**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 **Camp 15, Yodok** Political prison camp · Reported closed or downsized, disputed ](https://savenorthkorea.org/camps/kwanliso-15)
- [ © 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)