Ahn Myong-Chul

Ahn Myeong Chul (; born February 22, 1969) is a North Korean former prison guard who defected and became a human rights activist. He was born in Hongwon County (Hongwon-gun), South Hamgyong Province.

Life as a prison guard Ahn said prison guards are taught that prisoners are traitors, enemies, and not even people. He saw and took part in many severe abuses of prisoners. Systemic abuse, including near-starvation, sexual abuse, torture and executions are rampant in the camps. One type of abuse he often saw was eyeball removal. He became numb to the abuses.

Unlike most defectors, Ahn was part of the political prisoner penal system, a prison guard. Ahn became a guard at age 19, after completing two years of military service. Ahn defected in 1994 after serving as a prison guard for eight years and serving in four different camps, including Hoeryong. Three of the camps were closed, but Hoeryong is still open, where he worked from May 1987 to September 1994. In North Korea the families of offendees are often punished along with the offender. Even children born in the camps were often kept there their entire lives and Ahn became concerned for his welfare.

Defection and later life Ahn pleaded with his superiors that he was loyal but he was kept under surveillance. Strict loyalty to the party and regime are demanded. He even wrote a letter in his own blood to prove his loyalty to Kim Jong Il and the surveillance eased a bit. His hope is that the human rights violations in North Korea are brought to the International Criminal Court. Ahn feels the human rights situation in North Korea has gotten worse since Kim Jong Un came to power. Under Kim there is no forgiveness and no second chances. Ahn feels that if human rights significantly improve in North Korea, the regime will collapse. Ahn also feels that the regime would collapse if China stopped supporting the North Korean regime.

In March 2014, Ahn filed a petition to the United Nations special rapporteur on slavery in which he equates the conditions in North Korea “modern day slavery.”

In November 2014, Ahn was part of a group of 20 defectors who urged the Swiss government to freeze the bank accounts of North Korea's leaders, who are known to have large sums in Swiss bank accounts. The Swiss government said this cannot be done with approval by the United Nations Security Council, which would likely be blocked by permanent Security Council members Russia and China.

China often sends defectors back to North Korea. Many female defectors who end up in China become trafficking victims and have children fathered by Chinese men. China often lets the children stay in China but sends the women back to North Korea, essentially making the children orphans. Ahn feels China should stop this practice.