To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the British Ambassador to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is able to access the Kyo-hwa-so camps, the Kwan-li-so camps, the Ku-ryu-jang centres, the Jip-kyul-so prisons or the Ro-dong-dan-ryeondae centres; and how often the Embassy has requested access to those sites during the current Ambassador’s term.
Answered on
6 July 2015
The UK remains deeply concerned by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s use of political prison camps and by the severe and systematic violations of human rights within the DPRK penal system. During the last UN Universal Periodic Review of human rights in the DPRK the UK called for the closure of all prison camps. Together with other EU member states resident in Pyongyang, our Embassy has requested access to these camps on numerous occasions, and will continue to do so. However, the DPRK continues to refuse access by independent observers.