Singer Kim Ho-joong, who is serving time for charges of hit-and-run while driving under the influence, has recently been transferred to Somang Prison in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. Somang Prison is the only private prison in Korea, gaining attention for its different operational methods and living environment compared to general correctional facilities.
Opened in 2010, Somang Prison is a correctional facility operated by the Agape Foundation, which was established through the collaboration of Korean churches, and it is the first private prison in Asia.
It operates under the delegation of the Minister of Justice and currently has an inmate capacity of 400. Unlike general prisons, inmates are addressed by name, and correctional programs include personality type assessments (MBTI), humanities and arts education, and spiritual training. Events that are rarely seen in state-run prisons, such as barbecue parties with both inmates and staff, are also conducted.
The environment is also relatively pleasant. According to data from the Ministry of Justice in 2022, the occupancy rate of general prisons was 105.8%, while Somang Prison had a rate of 98%, and the space per inmate was 3.98 square meters, larger than the general 2.58 square meters.
However, those involved in organized crime or drug offenses are excluded from admission, and applicants must meet certain criteria, such as being male with a sentence of 7 years or less and a remaining sentence of at least 1 year.
Kim Ho-joong was charged after driving under the influence in May last year in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, violating the center line and colliding with a taxi before fleeing and instructing his manager to turn himself in instead. Following the accident, it was revealed that he changed clothes with his manager to evade capture, and while the charge of driving under the influence was dropped due to a lack of evidence, charges including dangerous driving resulting in injury under the Specific Crimes Weighted Penalty Act were recognized.
He was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in the first trial and submitted about 130 pages of remorse letters during the appeals process, but the sentence was upheld in the second trial as well. After withdrawing the Supreme Court appeal, the sentence has been finalized. Kim Ho-joong is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence at Somang Prison.