Facility is 11th to undergo demolition and construction since 2023 amid push to strengthen ideological control
The Sariwon prison located in the middle of the city, the capital of North Hwanghae Province | Image: Google Earth (Nov. 5, 2025), edited by NK Pro
North Korea has started rebuilding a large prison in the southwestern city of Sariwon, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, the 11th prison found to be undergoing demolition and construction since late 2023.
NK Pro was first to report on North Korea’s new nationwide prison project, which includes notorious “reeducation” centers known as “kyohwaso” facilities in Sinuiju and Hamhung, as well as the country’s first large new prison under construction in decades.
The project appears to be part of plans to formalize the national incarceration system, which may improve prisoner living conditions
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