“I was assigned to Chongsong (Control Center or PPC) after graduation from my university. After graduation, I was asked if I would be interested in the Ministry of Police. I was sent to that ministry in Pyongyang and to the Chongsong Control Center. I was told at that time that I was being sent there because I was an orphan. I was in Pyongyang for about 15 days. I was interviewed at the 9th Bureau of the Ministry of Police and given instructions about my duty. I received my uniform. I had never been previously to Chongsong County, North Hamkyong Province. A man with the title, Chief of Politics, Chongsong Control Center, came and picked me up and took me to the Control Center. This is how I was assigned to a Control Center.” (A08, former SSA officer at PPC No. 12 and 13 1967~1992) The survey reveals that family members of those offenders arrested are usually not informed about the arrest, with the exception of those offenders whose families are also arrested. One isolated case was recorded in which the offender met his family just before detention at a PPC. If a person is detained at a PPC, he or she is treated as a missing person to the family, thereby causing serious problems for the family and sometimes disintegration of the family unit. Sudden disappearance of a family member following an arrest for a crime is generally interpreted by the family that the victim has been sent to a PPC and information about the whereabouts will not be available. 4) Criminal Charges Brought against Prisoners The survey conducted on the crimes of former prisoners matched the survey results of North Korean defectors. According to the survey, charges pertaining to political crimes are of the following nature: making remarks about political matters, defection from North Korea or an attempt to go to South Korea, and anti-government activities. This survey is supported by testimonies from former prisoners. As Table 2-3 shows, charges against prisoners mostly consist of remarks on politics, criticism against regime leaders and attempted defection from North Korea. Some of them were arrested based on guilt by association. It must be noted that Table 2-3 is based on interviews of former prisoners from PPC No. 15, Yodok only a high-security camp. The survey produces a somewhat different result when prisoners from maximum-security PPC and PPC No.18 are included. In a high-security PPC, the rate of single offenders without family members is high, while the rate of family detention is high in maximum-security PPC. Shin Dong-hyuk from PPC No. 14 and former prisoners from PPC No. 18 (A01, A09 and O Myong-o) were all detained by the system of guilt by association for the political activities of their grandparents, such as defection to South Korea, not because of their own alleged offense. 61