Included are stories from people who served time in North Korean prisons, former military officers, and artists, among others.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that torture and ill-treatment were widespread in North Korean prisons and labour camps.

Her daughter also tried to cross, was caught and is now serving a three-year sentence in a North Korean political prison.

If convicted of crimes, American soldiers are jailed in a special wing of a Korean prison, where eight are now serving sentences.

They noted that hundreds of people remain in South Korean prisons for their political beliefs.

Her betrayal of Doyle led to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment, including time in a North Korean prison.

Since then, accusations of baby killing in North Korean prisons have increased.

Human-rights groups said the 125 constituted a small percentage of the approximately 1,300 people they say remain in South Korean prisons on political charges.

According to many organizations, the conditions in North Korean prisons are harsh and life threatening.

At age 23, he got it: a sentence of three and a half years in South Korean prisons for mailing himself a kilogram of hashish.