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Kwan-li-so (Penal-labor Colony) No. 16 Hwasong (Chosŏn'gŭl: 화성 제16호 관리소), often known outside North Korea as the Hwasong concentration camp (Hangul: 화성 정치범수용소; also spelled Hwasŏng or Hwaseong), is the largest political labor camp (kwalliso) in North Korea. Located in rural North Hamgyong Province,
Hwasong is highly secretive and isolated from the rest of the country. Prisoners, usually imprisoned for life, are subject to harsh forced labor and treatment. The estimated prisoner population size is 20,000. The camp is located in the mountains of Myonggan County (formerly called Hwasong County), and its activities mostly consist of logging, agriculture, and some industrial production. However, the camp is also notable for its proximity to the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, leading to suspicions over its connections to North Korea's development of nuclear weapons. Camp expansions in recent decades and changes in camp features indicate enhanced security measures and the need to accommodate increased prisoner populations and economic activities.
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