Liberty Forward Party legislator Park Sun-young says North Korea is sending a number of families left behind by North Korean escapees into political prisoner camps this month.

Park, who is currently visiting the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, made the remarks on Monday in a telephone interview with Yonhap News Agency.

The lawmaker said that North Korea, which threatened to exterminate three generations of any family with a member caught defecting the North, seems to be acting on the announcement.

Park said that about 100 arrested families members linked to the escapees are believed to have been sent to about 20 political prisoner camps.