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N. Korea: 120 Prisoners Escaped from a Gulag (Real life Stalag-17)
The Daily NK ^ | 02/05/07 | Kim Young-jin, Shin Ju-hyun

Posted on 02/05/2007 9:03:22 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster

/begin my excerpt

N. Korea: 120 Prisoners Escaped from a Gulag

[sourced from 3 informants inside N. Korea] from 'Camp No. 16' at Hwasung, N. Korea..."very unusual development"

02/05/07

120 prisoners escaped en masse from 'Camp No. 16' at Hwasung, N. Hamkyong Province, which is a labor camp for political prisoners. This is an extraordinary event which prompted N. Korean authorities to mobilize State Security Dept., Public Security Ministry (police), and military to hunt down escapes, according to multiple sources inside N. Korea.

Inside sources from Chongjin, N. Hamkyong Province, revealed on Feb. 1 and Feb. 5, "On Dec. 20 of last year, 120 prisoners from a camp at Hwasung County escaped, leading to high alert at State Security Dept. and police. Currently, many extra checkpoints are set up in N. Hamkyong Province, checking travel pass for vehicles and travelers."

N. Korean labor camps for prisoners are ringed with layers of obstacles, and residents in surrounding villages are drilled to their head to report any escapees and escapees face brutal punishment, all of which make escape nearly impossible. It is quite unusual to have mass escape like this.

One source said, "An acquaintance, who is a security official at provincial security dept., told me that political prisoners jumped from Hwasung camp. The escapees are said to number over 120."

The sources said that there was significant outside help. Escapees used large steel saw provided from outside to cut (barbed) wire fences, and neutralized camp guards with clubs.

They said, "The outsiders not only provided steel saw but also escape get-away vehicle(s.) Most of escapees are those who once attempted to go to S. Korea from China, but (got caught) and repatriated to N. Korea, and sent to the camp.

According to those who were once in such a camp, N. Korea's camp for political prisoners are different from an ordinary prison. It is located in the remote mountain area, and resembles like a village. Its area is as large as a few villages put together. To prevent escape, it is surrounded with wire fences at 2~3 meter high. There are guard towers and guards are on watch for 24 hours.

In addition to guards, there are 'search squads' around a camp, and people in its neighborhood are given awards for turning in escapees.

The escape was successful this time because escapees were able to quickly get out of the camp's vicinity using get-away vehicle(s) along with other outside help.

21 escapees were said to be caught during house-to-house search afterwards.

/snip

[Yanji, China = Kim Young-jin, Shin Ju-hyun]

/end my excerpt



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: camp; escape; korea; nkorea; northkorea; politicalprisoner; runkimrun
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1 posted on 02/05/2007 9:03:23 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster; AmericanInTokyo; OahuBreeze; yonif; risk; Steel Wolf; nuconvert; MizSterious; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 02/05/2007 9:04:30 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, kae jong-il, chia head, pogri, midget sh*tbag)
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To: TigerLikesRooster; monkapotamus; Jet Jaguar; All

DAMN it is Great Escape the movie


3 posted on 02/05/2007 9:05:59 PM PST by SevenofNine ("We are Freepers, all your media belong to us, resistence is futile")
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To: TigerLikesRooster

I feel for those 21 who were recaptured. I doubt that the NK government will be very sympathetic.


4 posted on 02/05/2007 9:06:51 PM PST by Stonewall Jackson (I see storms on the horizon.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Hmm... Sounds like there's space available in a Communist gulag...

Any chance we can make reservations for the Democratic Caucus?

No, wait... They'd be invited to live in the Presidential Palace, since they're fellows and comrades.

Oh well, so much for that idea.


Okay, all humor aside - when are the Democrats going to stop pretending that North Korea is a peaceful, freedom loving nation? Same goes for Iran, China, and Syria. Being a credible political dissenter in any of those nations can be a hazard to one's health.


5 posted on 02/05/2007 9:07:07 PM PST by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: SevenofNine
"DAMN it is Great Escape the movie"


6 posted on 02/05/2007 9:09:40 PM PST by monkapotamus
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To: monkapotamus

MONK I am so disappoint with you I thought you going impose James Garner or Steve McQueen in this reset ROFL


7 posted on 02/05/2007 9:18:27 PM PST by SevenofNine ("We are Freepers, all your media belong to us, resistence is futile")
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Thanks, TIger..you always report such interesting news.


8 posted on 02/05/2007 9:22:16 PM PST by the Real fifi
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To: Stonewall Jackson
I feel for those 21 who were recaptured. I doubt that the NK government will be very sympathetic.

I just searched (unsuccessfully) for a story I read a few months ago here.

Paraphrasing, the Chinese regularly return escapees to North Korea. The practice in NK is to herd returned prisoners together by stabbing a steel cable under their collarbone right through their bodies.

The story I read was of a woman who requested only a comb and some water, just before her transfer at a border bridge. Said that she wanted to go to heaven with dignity.

I am quite certain she made it.

9 posted on 02/05/2007 9:27:00 PM PST by SteveMcKing
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To: TigerLikesRooster


HOOOOGAN!!!!

10 posted on 02/05/2007 9:27:45 PM PST by uptoolate (If it sounds absurd, 51% chance it was sarcasm.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

I suspect Col. Hogan...


11 posted on 02/05/2007 9:31:41 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: Army Air Corps; monkapotamus; All

ROFL LMAO now that funny


12 posted on 02/05/2007 9:34:19 PM PST by SevenofNine ("We are Freepers, all your media belong to us, resistence is futile")
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To: TigerLikesRooster

To be caught, means death by
particularly cruel torture...
better to die, than be caught.


13 posted on 02/05/2007 9:40:03 PM PST by NickatNite2003 (From the Man from Hope" to the wife who snarls "Abandon All Hope!")
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Gulag the Bear certainly comes to mind.
14 posted on 02/05/2007 9:42:25 PM PST by kittycatonline.com
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To: Stonewall Jackson

21 + the people whose houses they were hiding in.


15 posted on 02/05/2007 9:44:57 PM PST by paltz
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To: SevenofNine
"MONK I am so disappoint with you I thought you going impose James Garner or Steve McQueen in this reset ROFL"


16 posted on 02/05/2007 9:53:42 PM PST by monkapotamus
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To: monkapotamus

YEAH BABY ALRIGHT Steve McQueen hey MONK there was Norms restaurant near LA Colsuium back in da day cool thing I remember about Raider games when they play in SO CAL you go Norms get your belly full then tailgate in Colsiuem parking lot with your fellow Raiders fan that Norms got closed down when Raider move back to Oaktown

I see you got Chia PET you breaking my ballz FR you breaking my ballzaa that what Chia Pet would say


17 posted on 02/05/2007 9:55:40 PM PST by SevenofNine ("We are Freepers, all your media belong to us, resistence is futile")
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To: SevenofNine
"you breaking my ballz FR you breaking my ballzaa that what Chia Pet would say"

ROFL

18 posted on 02/05/2007 10:05:17 PM PST by monkapotamus
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To: TigerLikesRooster
According to those who were once in such a camp, N. Korea's camp for political prisoners are different from an ordinary prison. It is located in the remote mountain area, and resembles like a village. Its area is as large as a few villages put together. To prevent escape, it is surrounded with wire fences at 2~3 meter high. There are guard towers and guards are on watch for 24 hours.

In addition to guards, there are 'search squads' around a camp, and people in its neighborhood are given awards for turning in escapees.

This is exactly how many Soviet GULAGs worked. Godspeed to the escapees.

19 posted on 02/05/2007 11:00:52 PM PST by ellery (The true danger is when liberty is nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts. - Edmund Burke)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

"Dis is intoreraber! Whoever arrowed dis to happen wirr be fed to da sharks!"

20 posted on 02/06/2007 1:29:17 AM PST by WestVirginiaRebel (A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel-Robert Frost)
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