The North Korean regime is still building tunnels. But these tunnels aren't the ones under the demilitarized zone to facilitate a surprise attack on the South. They're not bomb shelters, either. These tunnels are being built so that if the regime feels like it is failing, it can quickly and permanently dispose of over 200,000 political prisoners in a dark place away from prying eyes, or even sunlight.

After all, if the regime is ever really in trouble, all of those prison guards will be needed in the cities to... restore order. So they'll need to rid themselves of the need to spend time tormenting the original batch of starving prisoners.

One former North Korean prisoner talks about his experience:

Shin Dong Hyuk, who was born in the No. 14 Kaecheon Camp, testified that, “My parents married as a reward, and then I was born in 1982. In other words, I had to live there as a prisoner from birth.”
 

He added, “After escaping the prison camp and seeing that people in North Korean society didn’t need to bow deeply to the police and could talk and laugh, I thought it was heaven. But after entering South Korea I realized that North Korean society itself was a hell.”