SOUTH KOREA: South Korea opens "world's first" foreigners' prison

Record ID: 479636

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: South Korea opens "world's first" foreigners' prison
  • Date: 24th February 2010
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING: PLANTING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) KIM PYUNG-GUN, DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL REHABILITATION AT CHEONAN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, SAYING: "We will operate this facility for the inmates to recognise that their 'Korean Dream' was not a failure. We will give them a message of hope. " VARIOUS OF READING ROOM LOBBY VARIOUS OF OUTSIDE AND INSIDE CELL HALLWAY ENTRANCE TO PRISON VARIOUS OF OPENING CEREMONY
  • Embargoed: 11th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVABUSKM6SFQAKJORJH2WQMT6S93
  • Story Text: South Korea opens a correctional institution for foreign prisoners, which it claims the "first" of its kind in the world.
    South Korea opened on Tuesday (February 23) the "world's first" foreigners' prison in Cheonan, a city located in south of Seoul.
    Inmates put on a traditional Korean Samulnori performance to commemorate the opening of Cheonan Correctional Institution for Foreign Nationals .
    They also danced to Korean songs along with Korean teachers.
    South Korea's Justice Minister and 35 officials of 18 embassies to South Korea also attended the opening ceremony.
    A director at the Institution claimed it was the first of its kind in the world.
    "This is the only correctional institution for foreigners in the world, an unprecedented facility operated in our country," said Kim Pyung-gun, Director of Social Rehabilitation at Cheonan Correctional Institution.
    The purpose of opening this facility was to give fair treatment to inmates that have different languages, customs, cultures and religions, he added.
    "We have much better food and education here, much better than before," said an American inmate, who spoke fluent Korean.
    Seoul's Justice Ministry said currently 1,504 foreigners from 42 countries were imprisoned in South Korea, and 587 from 27 countries would be staying at this prison.
    The inmates are provided with food of their native countries, and can also watch TV programmes of their own languages via the satellite.
    They can also attend classes teaching Korean culture and have access to vocational training courses to be able to adapt themselves to a multi-national atmosphere.
    The Justice Ministry said the number of foreign prisoners in South Korea has increased by 250 percent in four years.
    Many of the inmates had came to South Korea to pursue their "Korean Dream," and this institution decided to tell them their dream has yet to fail.
    "We will operate this facility for the inmates to recognise that their 'Korean Dream' was not a failure. We will give them a message of hope, " said Kim.
    Many embassies in Seoul, South Korean universities and civic groups have donated about 6,000 books in different languages to this institution.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register