Clothing and food are said to be so scarce inmates are forced to survive on any animals they can capture such as rats. The report said many of these women had been captured by Chinese men posing as helpers when they crossed the border. Internet Explorer is not compatible with this website. The NK Pro, NK News and KCNA Watch websites do not support private mode or incognito browsing. External websites are occasionally made available on request, although these are censored and hosted locally after being downloaded. Then the next two generations born in the camps can also remain there. Private enterprise of any kind is officially banned in North Korea. South Korea's Ministry of Unification this week reported the number of successful defections from the North fell in the first eight months of 2017. Historically Korea had a large Christian population. The state’s young dictator, Kim Jong-un, was photographed earlier this month relishing his nation’s progress developing a hydrogen bomb at a lavish celebration, even as the continued tests brought new United Nations sanctions and an increasing threat of war. In reality officials will often turn a blind eye in return for bribes. It also relayed the account of one witness who described seeing a repatriated prisoner giving birth to a baby, which was then smothered by nurses. He can be reached at [email protected], Specialist news and analysis, research tools, and unique data sets. A North Korean soldier keeps watch on the banks of the Yalu River in Sinuiju, North Korea Credit: Reuters A ccording to Human Rights Watch , Kim … It is a criminal offence for North Koreans to leave the country without government permission. Every week we ask a North Korean your questions, giving you the chance to learn more about the country we know so little about. The edict was introduced in 1972 by Kim Il-sung and said up to three generations had to be punished to wipe out the 'seed' of class enemies. North Korean law dictates a “three generations of punishment” policy: If you commit a crime, your children and grandchildren will carry the stains of your sin and be punished accordingly. That means that if your grandfather committed a crime, you get to bear the full brunt of his punishment. Even those who successfully make it out of the North can still be pursued by government agents and there are reports of defector's families being punished in their absence. Most try to cross the Yalu and Tumen Rivers on North Korea’s border with China and some even attempt to make it across the heavily-mined demiliterised zone (DMZ) into South Korea. Ji-min is an “Ask a North Korean” contributor. The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes, My walking holiday along the world's most notorious border, A day trip to the world's most hostile border, Selfies in the Korean DMZ – and other unusual border travel experiences, From Pyongyang to Port-au-Prince, the most peculiar places I've ever visited, My holiday in North Korea – what I learned in the world's most secretive state, The holiday resort with a dark past that will host historic Trump-Kim summit, North Korea invites Russian tourists promising a holiday that is 'safer than London'. Conditions in the country's prison and labour camps are notoriously harsh. It has been ruled by the Kim dynasty since 1948 after the Soviet Union took control of the north of the Korean peninsula from Japan after the Second World War, and then installed Un’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, in power. The state has a hostile approach to religions, particularly to those it sees as western faiths such as Christianity. As many as 500,000 of North Korea’s current 2.5 million population are estimated to still be Christian today. Microsoft ceased supporting IE 10 and older in 2016. Police exist to collect bribes, punishment is determined by social status, Every week we ask a North Korean your questions, giving you the chance to learn more about the country we know so little about.This week Alice C. in Canada asks:How does law and order work in North Korea?The constitution represents the national identity and national law of a country, and no one, even the ruler, is above the constitution and the rule of law. How Middle Eastern politics is trebling flight times, Booze, Beatles and barbecued dog: What it's really like to visit North Korea, Why I went to North Korea for a skiing holiday – and you should too, Just Back: Road tripping through North Korea, The rail North Korea: An eye-opening train journey through the secretive state, 10 things running the Pyongyang Marathon taught me about North Korea. He is in his late 20s and left Pyongyang in 2005. The reclusive state is seen as one of the last Stalinist regimes and is ideologically committed to cutting itself off from the international community in pursuit of its doctrine of national self reliance. Although North Korea’s constitution theoretically guarantees freedom of speech, all domestic media outlets are owned by the one-party state and no reporting is allowed that isn't sanctioned by the government. Although the North Korean constitution officially allows freedom of religion, the practice is very different. If one person is convicted of a serious crime and sent to a prison camp their immediate family can also be sent with them. As such Christians are forced to worship in secret and some don’t initiate their children into their religion due to the risks. Executionsare supposedly mostly c… Those who are caught face time in labour camps or execution. In a letter to Parliament the charity, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, cited reported incidents of repatriated female defectors being  forced to have abortions after becoming pregnant in China. Absolutely No Filthy Capitalist ItemsCapitalists are bad, filthy bad in the land of the socialist utopia. This unofficial economic liberalisation has helped North Korea’s GDP grow - although it remains only around two per cent that of the South Korea's. The nation’s official ideology is Juche, a fusion of Marxism and Korean nationalism created by Kim Il-sung, and the regime views any practices outside this doctrine with deep suspicion. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.