Reporters experience day in the life of an inmate during inspection of Korea's oldest prison
The Ministry of Justice last week conducted an on-site inspection of the Anyang Correctional Institution in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, the oldest prison in South Korea.
Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho and beat reporters covering the ministry visited the facility, as reporters dressed in prison garb went inside the cells to see what life was like as an inmate. It was intended to inspect the facility and the living conditions at the prison compound, which was built in 1963.
Concerns were raised about the over-population of the Anyang Correctional Institution, which in 2025 was at 132 percent of its capacity. The ministry's assessment in 2024 showed that 20 percent of participating prison guards were at risk of mental health issues. They were 2.7 times more likely than the overall population to have planned suicide attempts, and actually attempted suicide 1.6 times more frequently.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
