Located in the mountains of Hwasong County, the camp's activities mostly consist of logging, agriculture, and some industrial production.
[1] The camp is not included in maps,[2] but the entrance gate and the ring fence with watchtowers can be recognized on satellite images.
[4] The camp is connected to North Korea's national rail network via the station at Haryegumi, 1.75km (1.09 mi) away from the main entrance.
Puhwa-ri (Chosŏn'gŭl: 부화리), 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the entrance gate, is the camp headquarters.
Its activities are primarily focused on logging and agriculture, with smaller instances of mining, light industry, and hydroelectric power production.
[4] The rugged terrain of the camp's surroundings and harsh weather conditions also likely deter escape attempts.
[4] This perimeter encompasses numerous villages within the camp area, 53 of which are named and many others unnamed, and is said to be a "total control zone" divided into three "towns" with differing levels of privileges for prisoners, depending on the severity of their crime.
Several defectors reported that political prisoners were forced to dig tunnels and build underground facilities in areas exposed to nuclear radiation.
[9] Apart from the use of forced labor under poor conditions, there are also concerns over prisoners' health as a result of the camp's proximity to the Punggye-ri nuclear test facility.
[13] Analysis of satellite images by Amnesty International in October 2013 shows that the prisoner population of Hwasong camp has slightly increased compared to 2008.
[18] More construction since then has been identified in a 2015 image analysis report by HRNK, which pointed out the emergence of new housing and support buildings in the camp's various villages, suggesting a further significant increase in the prisoner population.
[4] Meanwhile, segments of the eastern perimeter shifted west since 2010 to support logging and economic development along the Orangchon River.