Officially, North Korea denies it operates a secret work camp system, where those suspected of "wrong thought" are half-starved and worked to near death, usually for their entire lives.

However, reports have been trickling out for years that suggest this is a lie.

Last month a fascinating account of the camps was documented in the book, "Escape From Camp 14". Shin In Geun, the man behind that account, escaped the country, making an arduous journey to a South Korean embassy.