for arrest and control of the prisoners. It was ascertained that PPC under the control of the 7th Bureau of SSA, are comprised of the Camp Superintendent, the Political Department, the representative office of the State Security Agency, the Administrative Department, the Security Department, the Supply Department, etc.28 However, the present survey shows that the control and organization of each PPC varies depending on its size as well as the era in which it was established. However, as discussed in previous sections, PPC No. 18 at Pukchang is under the control of the police. Witness A08, an SSA officer at PPC No. 12 and 13 for more than 20 years testifies that in the beginning, PPC were under the control of the 9th Bureau of the Ministry of Police but in 1975 the operation of the PPC system was entrusted to the 7th Bureau of the State Security Agency. The PPC’s security guards are in charge of security in the PPC, which includes the protection of camp facilities, prevention of escapes, and arresting defectors from the camp. All PPC are inaccessible to outsiders and are generally located deep in the mountains to make access difficult from outside. All PPC are surrounded by barbed wire, guard posts and other devices to make access from the outside and defection from inside extremely difficult. The security systems of PPC appear to be uniform but some differences are noted in terms of number of guards and security equipment. Further details of this situation appear in the following testimonies. “There were about 200 control officers in the camp headquarters alone. They would total some 500 officers if the number were to include the officers assigned to each village, mines and factories inside the camp. They all operate in three shifts. The Camp Superintendent is responsible for the entire operation of the Camp and there are departments for political matters and administration. There are 10 sections under the Administrative Department. There is a Court Section under the Political Department for conducting trials. Military troops alone are tasked with guarding the outside of the camp. There are two lines of barbed wire fences with boards studded with poisoned nails between the barbed wire. There is a battalion force of security guard. Guard posts are positioned in such a way as to command views of the entire areas within the sight of guards. In the flat areas, the distance is quite far between guard posts but very short, less than 50 meters, if any obstruction limits visibility between posts. Guards patrol very frequently with dogs.” (A08, former SSA officer at PPC No. 12 and 13 1967~1992) “There was an embankment, five meters wide, two meters 28 Korea Institute of National Unification (KINU), “North Korean Human Rights White Paper,” (2009, Seoul), p.101 79