An illustration of a North Korean prison camp. (Adobe Firefly)
North Korea’s core regime stability apparatus is undergoing significant reorganization as the Ministry of State Security transitions to the National Intelligence Agency, with political prison camps (kwalliso) now being retooled under the new agency’s command structure.
A source told Daily NK on Wednesday that “following the Ninth Party Congress, there have been moves to reorganize the management, detention and security systems for political prison camps under the National Intelligence Agency,” which is the new name of the Ministry of State Security. He added that authorities are “working to restructure the chain of command from upper-level leadership to field management agencies.”
Previously, Daily NK reported that directives regarding political prison camps flowed from the Ministry of State Security’s Organization Bureau through the Comprehensive Planning Bureau and the Camp Management Bureau before reaching individual facilities. The Camp Management Bureau serves as the central oversight body for all subordinate camps.
Terminology and organizational adjustments
Additionally, the source said authorities are “attempting to reduce use of the term ‘political prison camp management office’ in documents” and have “begun classifying detainees as ‘ideological offenders’ and other categories.”
The numbering system for facilities is also being revised. The source explained that Camp 15 “is not closed but rather divided into the main Yodok facility and nearby management subdivisions while maintaining its management number. The number remains 15, but the structure differs from the single facility of the past.”
Political prison camps have long been managed under a numbering system, such as “Camp No. XX.” Recent reports indicate authorities are now assigning new numbers to field control agencies and management divisions while reorganizing existing designations.
The source further clarified that Camp 17 “is listed as Kaecheon in documents, but it would be incorrect to interpret this as meaning the actual detention facility is located in Kaecheon. The management number, administrative designation and actual physical location must be viewed separately.”
In 2024, Daily NK reported that Camp 17 location is regarded as classified information even within North Korea. Given that Camp 17 was mentioned during the current National Intelligence Agency reorganization and command restructuring process, there is speculation that management authority may have shifted to the National Intelligence Agency.
Mass re-registration of detainees
Separately, authorities have launched a comprehensive re-registration of political prison camp detainees. The source said that “from March through early June this year, a complete re-registration of detainees and reorganization of management divisions were conducted intensively. Electronic management accounts were created for individual detainees, and management numbers were newly assigned or updated.”
Most significantly, the source noted that “those classified as serious ideological offenders or state subversives are being separated from general detainees and sent to ‘regime subversion special detention zones.’” He added that “internally, directives have come down ordering that these individuals be completely isolated from society, forcing them to witness, through their suffering, the so-called ‘people-first principle’ and society’s ‘victory.’”
However, it remains unclear precisely how the new “special detention zones” differ from existing “complete control zones.”
Reporting from inside North Korea
Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media, satellite imagery, or defector accounts from years past, our journalism comes directly from people currently living under the regime. We verify reports through multiple independent sources and cross-reference details before publication.
Our sources remain anonymous because contact with foreign media is treated as a capital offense in North Korea — discovery means imprisonment or execution. This network-based approach allows Daily NK to report on developments other outlets cannot access: market trends, policy implementation, public sentiment, and daily realities that never appear in official narratives.
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