This article was displayed on the ChosunBiz RM Report site at 3:09 p.m. on Mar. 27, 2026.
As drug offenders incarcerated in correctional facilities nationwide surge, the core detection device, the "ion scanner," is absent in three out of four prisons and detention centers. Attempts to smuggle in drugs continue, but critics say on-site responses still largely rely on manpower.
According to legal sources on the 27th, only 14 out of 55 correctional facilities nationwide have ion scanners. The distribution rate is about 25.5%.
An ion scanner is a device that detects drug substances by analyzing microscopic particles on the human body or objects. It can identify trace amounts as small as one-millionth of a gram. While it is widely used at airports and customs, its per-unit price of about 50 million won has slowed its spread across correctional facilities.
By contrast, the number of drug offenders in correctional facilities is rising rapidly. According to the Ministry of Justice, drug offenders incarcerated in correctional facilities increased from 3,314 in 2021 to 7,429 in 2025, more than doubling.
Attempts to smuggle in drugs are also unrelenting. In Oct. 2023, 11 people who tried to smuggle about 3 grams of fentanyl through registered mail were arrested at Gwangju Prison. In Apr. last year, a letter containing drugs was brought into Incheon Detention Center but was caught. The device that detected it at the time was an ion scanner.
Currently, most drug seizures occur when correctional officers conduct body searches of inmates or inspect mail. However, with the burden on correctional officers heavy due to overcrowding in correctional facilities, there are limits to screening every case.
In particular, when trace amounts of drugs are cleverly hidden in mail or parcels, visual detection is not easy.
For this reason, there are growing calls to expand the distribution of equipment such as ion scanners even within limited budget conditions. If full deployment across all correctional facilities is difficult, there is a need to prioritize facilities with large numbers of drug offenders or high smuggling risks.
The budget structure of correctional administration is also cited as a problem. Because the Korea Correctional Service is grouped under the Ministry of Justice as a headquarters system, there are limits to independent budgeting and equipment expansion tailored to on-site needs.
The Korea Correctional Service's budget this year is 1.9801 trillion won, accounting for about 44% of the Ministry of Justice's total, but the organization remains a headquarters, not an external agency.
An official at the Ministry of Justice said, "In line with the government's guidelines to strengthen drug enforcement capabilities, we plan to introduce 10 additional ion scanners this year."