North Korea is holding 154,000 inmates in six labor camps across the country, a South Korean lawmaker said Saturday.
Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun from the ruling Grand National Party, the communist North had about 10 such places holding about 200,000 political prisoners until the late 1990s, . But North Korea closed down four of the camps in the face of mounting criticism from other countries.
North Korea often denies holding any political prisoners, stressing that there are no human rights abuse.
Political prisoners are forced to work more than 10 hours a day and receive only 200 grams of foods a day, Rep. Yoon was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency. They are also denied access to medical care, he said.
People incarcerated in the political prison camps include political opponents or those who lost out in power struggles. Ordinary people are also imprisoned for making disrespectful remarks about the country's leader Kim Jong-il.