The Ministry of Justice decided to expand the number of people on parole to a monthly average of 1,340 starting next year to ease overcrowding in Korea's correctional facilities.
The Ministry of Justice said on the 21st that "the occupancy rate of correctional facilities repeatedly exceeds 130%," and added, "to resolve this issue, we prepared a 'plan to expand parole in 2026' in November." It continued, "Within the strict current system, an increase in the number of people granted parole will lead to a decrease in the number eligible for parole review next month, making it difficult to expect any further increase."
According to the Ministry of Justice, the monthly average number of people granted parole rose 30% from 794 in 2023 to 1,032 this year. The ministry plans to further expand next year's parole numbers by 30% to a monthly average of 1,340. In September, 1,218 people were released on parole, about a 30% increase from the May–August average (936).
Earlier, Minister Jung Sung-ho of the Ministry of Justice said in a work briefing on the 19th, "Parole has also been increased by 30% since the president took office," adding, "(The president) is popular inside prisons." President Lee Jae-myung said, "People might misunderstand that because I said to release them, many were released," and added, "Punishment aims for retributive effects and general and special preventive effects. If there is no victim or the harm has been sufficiently remedied so the victim no longer wants punishment, and the person is sufficiently remorseful so that only national loss occurs, then carefully reviewing and releasing is what the parole system is for."