The prisoner amnesty ties in with the birthdays of two dead North Korean soldiers . Seoul , South Korea ( CNN ) -- North Korea said Tuesday that it would release an unspecified number of prisoners in February to mark the birthdays of the two dictators who ruled the reclusive nation for a total of more than 60 years . Pyongyang does n't specify how many prisoners will be released . The government periodically gives out amnesties on important prisoners . International organizations estimate that North Korea holds about 500 political prisoners .
The prisoner amnesty ties in with the birthdays of two dead North Korean soldiers . Pyongyang does n't specify how many prisoners will be released . The government periodically gives out amnesties on important prisoners . International organizations estimate that North Korea holds about 500 political prisoners .