IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 705 
Condemning hard-labor prison camps in the Democratic People’s Republic 
of Korea as an egregious violation of human rights. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 31, 2009 
Mr. MINNICK (for himself and Mr. WOLF) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning hard-labor prison camps in the Democratic Peo-
ple’s Republic of Korea as an egregious violation of 
human rights. 
Whereas the U.S. Department of State estimates that 
150,000–200,000 prisoners are detained in labor camps, 
comprising 
roughly 
percent 
of 
North 
Korea’s 
22,000,000 people; 
Whereas satellite photographs corroborate survivors’ stories 
and reveal vast labor camps in the mountains of North 
Korea; 
Whereas guilt by association is legal under North Korean law 
and up to three generations of a convicted prisoner’s 
family may be imprisoned in labor camps; 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
23:21 Aug 01, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR705.IH
HR705
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 705 IH 
Whereas, according to a recently published report by the non-
governmental United States Committee for Human 
Rights in North Korea, thousands of prisoners are forced 
to work to their deaths in mining, logging, farming, and 
industrial enterprises; 
Whereas prisoners are sent to prison camps without any judi-
cial process, denied contact with the outside world, and 
forced to work up to 15 hours a day and up to 29 days 
a month until they die of malnutrition-related illnesses; 
Whereas one camp contains as many as 50,000 prisoners in 
an area that is 31 miles long and 25 miles wide, an area 
larger than the city of Los Angeles; 
Whereas many prisoners are allowed just one set of clothes, 
and denied soap, socks, or underclothes, and must subsist 
on corn and salt and are under constant threat of being 
executed; 
Whereas the Government of North Korea does not acknowl-
edge the existence of these prison camps and the issue 
has not been discussed in meetings between United 
States diplomats and North Korean officials; and 
Whereas the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea sen-
tenced United States reporters Laura Ling and Euna 
Lee to 12 years of hard labor and should release them 
on humanitarian grounds: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns hard-labor prison camps in the 
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as an egre-
gious violation of human rights; 
(2) urges the United States Government to de-
mand that the Democratic People’s Republic of 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
23:21 Aug 01, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR705.IH
HR705
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 705 IH 
Korea immediately shut down these camps and end 
all persecution of political prisoners; and 
(3) demands the Government of the Democratic 
People’s Republic of Korea immediately release 
United States reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee, 
who were sentenced in June 2009 to 12 years in a 
North Korean labor camp. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
23:21 Aug 01, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR705.IH
HR705
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with BILLS