"It feels luxurious. It has a slight heft, so it's comfortable to use."
This is a review posted by a Borami Mall user, identified as A, who bought a solid wood ballpoint pen run by the Ministry of Justice. The price is 18,000 won. Considering it is a handmade pen made of Japanese toon wood, the assessment is that it is cheaper than on the market.
The Borami Mall used by A is a platform that sells products made by prison inmates. With low prices and high quality, it has been quietly spreading by word of mouth online recently.
Another user, identified as B, who said they bought a three-section plate and a ttukbaegi at Borami Mall, said the "price is quite reasonable." They also said, "The ttukbaegi lid isn't perfectly symmetrical, but that can be overlooked. It shows a fair bit of a handmade feel." The ttukbaegi and the three-section plate are 20,000 won and 15,000 won, respectively.
◇ Borami Mall hit its highest revenue last year
According to the Ministry of Justice on the 12th, Borami Mall, a platform that sells products made by inmates, recorded 76.28 million won in revenue last year. This is the highest revenue since it opened in August 2019.
Revenue has been steadily increasing. It recorded 54.62 million won in 2021, 60.34 million won in 2022, 67.03 million won in 2023, and 74.18 million won in 2024. This year as well, cumulative revenue reached 20 million won through March, so annual revenue is expected to surpass last year's record.
Products sold on Borami Mall are made at 12 prisons nationwide, including Gongju, Gwangju, Gunsan, and Daejeon. The revenue scale is relatively small because the purpose of prison work is not to pursue profit. The focus is on cultivating inmates' work ethic and improving their ability to adapt to society, according to the Ministry of Justice. In addition, all products are made entirely by hand, so output is limited.
◇ From tea sets to beds... revenue goes entirely to the national treasury
Borami Mall currently sells kitchenware, household goods, stationery, and furniture such as beds and tables.
There are also products specialized by prison. For example, Gongju Prison mainly sells solid wood products. Popular items are solid wood cutting boards made of ash, hinoki cypress, and walnut. The price is 50,000 won.
Anyang Prison is popular for ceramic ware. A representative item is a tea set consisting of a teapot, teacups, and a cooling pitcher. Made with white porcelain clay, it takes shape by pouring slip into a plaster mold, then is fired for more than eight hours at 850 degrees, glazed, and fired again for 10 hours at 1,250 degrees. The price is 30,000 won. There is also a coffee dripper made using the same method. The price is 28,000 won.
Some places make large furniture. Jeonju Prison makes and sells a hinoki cypress bed (900,000 won) and a low table (400,000 won), Mokpo Prison makes a solid wood sofa (260,000 won), and Changwon Prison makes a solid wood dresser (200,000 won).
What has been the best-selling product on Borami Mall over the past five years? According to the Ministry of Justice, 33,953 embroidered cotton towels made by Daejeon Prison were sold, ranking No. 1 in cumulative sales. Next were natural soaps made by Busan Prison, and a phone stand and hexagonal pencil holder made by Gongju Prison, which were also popular items.
An official at the Korea Correctional Service explained, "There is a superstition that items made by inmates ward off bad luck, so a fair number of people seek them out."
Borami Mall revenue is fully returned to the national treasury. It is then reinvested in prison work and vocational training for inmates. A certain amount is paid to inmates who participate in prison work as an "encouragement allowance." It varies by work hours, but on average, each inmate receives about 100,000 won per month.
The Ministry of Justice explained, "The work encouragement allowance is used as an expense to help inmates settle stably into society after release."