A correctional officer surnamed A who works at a correctional facility in the greater Seoul area said this about the recent working environment. In an overcrowded setting, dealing with inmates all day has pushed mental fatigue to its limit.
In fact, while a considerable number of correctional officials are reporting stress caused by verbal and physical abuse, the Ministry of Justice is pursuing a plan to separate and elevate the Korea Correctional Service into an external agency named "Correctional Agency." However, because the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), which oversees government reorganization, has taken a negative stance in the past, coordination among ministries is considered the key variable.
◇"Afflicted by verbal and physical abuse"… Overcrowding adds to the burden on correctional officers
According to legal sources on the 24th, the Ministry of Justice is pushing to form a task force (TF) to review elevating the Korea Correctional Service into an external agency. This follows Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Chae Hyun-il's introduction on the 18th of a government organization law amendment to establish a Correctional Agency. It reflects calls to separate the organization and improve expertise and treatment.
The Korea Correctional Service is the largest organization within the Ministry of Justice. As of January this year, the number of correctional officers stands at about 16,800, accounting for 70.46% of all ministry officials. Its budget is 1.9801 trillion won, or 43.8% of the total. That is why there have been steady criticisms that it lacks independence relative to its size.
In particular, the working environment of correctional officials is considered poor. According to Ministry of Justice statistics, as of January this year, the nationwide correctional facility capacity is 50,614, but the actual inmate population is 65,279, putting the occupancy rate at 129%. With overcrowding becoming routine, the workload and stress of correctional officials have risen sharply.
Mental health problems are also serious. In a mental health survey of 5,600 correctional officials at 54 correctional institutions nationwide by the Ministry of Justice, 19.6% (1,108 people) were classified as a "mental health high-risk group." Within the correctional organization, there are strong calls that "independence as an external agency is needed to improve treatment for frontline staff and strengthen expertise."
◇ MOIS opposition a variable… Minister Jung Sung-ho has unusual momentum
This is not the first time the idea of separating and elevating a Correctional Agency has been raised. In 1999 and 2003, plans to establish a "Correction and Protection Agency" were pursued through government reorganization. In 2008, a plan to elevate the Bureau of Corrections to an agency was also reviewed, but it ended with a reorganization at the level of the Korea Correctional Service.
Bills to establish a Correctional Agency have been introduced multiple times. Minister Jung Sung-ho of the Ministry of Justice, during his terms as a lawmaker in 2017 (the 20th National Assembly) and 2020 (the 21st National Assembly), introduced amendments to the government organization law centered on creating a Correctional Agency, emphasizing the need. At the time, legislation did not go through due to opposition from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS).
In the end, some say that for the elevation to a Correctional Agency to become a reality, persuading members of the Ministry of Justice and the MOIS will be key.
When the elevation to a Correctional Agency was discussed in the past, the MOIS reportedly expressed the opinion that it needed careful review because "there are concerns about weakening the organic linkage among crime investigation and prevention functions, such as the Ministry of Justice's probation and crime prevention and the Prosecutors' Office's criminal legal systems." It also cited the possibility that it could lead to demands for elevation to "agency" status by other similar organizations.
However, this time, observers say the momentum is different from before because Minister Jung, who has been favorable to creating a Correctional Agency, now heads the Ministry of Justice. A legal source said, "It is true that now, with Minister Jung in office, is the right time to discuss elevating to a Correctional Agency," adding, "Calls to separate and elevate it as an external agency in line with its size are also gaining traction."