The Mainichi Shimbun reported on the 19th that North Korea appears to have increased the construction of new prisons (re-education centers) since 2023.
The newspaper cited an analysis of satellite images by Colin Zwyco, a reporter for the U.S. North Korea-focused media NK News, stating that a new prison has been built in Hwangju, Hwanghaebuk-do, around March 2023. Satellite images taken of the area in April this year show six structures believed to be watchtowers within a rectangular fence, with a ㄷ-shaped building located inside the fence.
The Mainichi reported, "In photos taken of the same location in 2022, it was an open space," adding that the building is overall very similar to the prison in Cheonnae, Gangwon Province. It continued, "Renovation and expansion work for four prisons, including Cheonnae, Sinuiju in North Pyongan Province, Sariwon in Hwanghaebuk-do, and Hamhung in South Hamgyong Province, is also underway since the end of 2023."
Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University, said to The Mainichi, "There is information indicating that crime is significantly increasing in North Korea," adding, "It has also been confirmed that ideological control is worsening."
In this context, Reporter Zwyco noted that it is unusual that the newly established Hwangju prison is close to a military base, suggesting, "There is a possibility that it is housing political prisoners and ideological offenders." He asserted, "One clear point is that Kim Jong Un is focusing on controlling the entire population."
The Mainichi explained that, regarding Reporter Zwyco's analysis, "The new prison construction in North Korea being identified through satellite images is the first time," noting that this could serve as evidence that the North Korean authorities have intensified their crackdown on ideological offenders.