At 9 a.m. on the 17th, at Cheongju Women's Prison in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. With a sharp "clack" and handcuffs fastened, stepping into the prison building revealed a stark white building and a sand exercise yard.
The thought, "This must be a place where people live too," did not last long. A space about the size of two goshitel rooms, where 11 people were huddled and crouching, had heated up in the scorching heat, with the day's high reaching 34.1 degrees. As I wiped away the dripping sweat, the fellow "inmate" whose body touched mine right next to me did not look so agreeable.
◇Careful checks even between long strands of hair… psychological tests too
The intake process was strict. After passing the prison's iron gate and entering the entrance, I headed to the waiting room. It is the place new inmates first go through when they arrive. After answering questions about my previous residence, occupation, and family environment, I underwent a physical examination.
Inmates can grow their hair as long as they are neat. Correctional officers said they carefully check even between the strands of long hair during the physical examination. That is because sharp objects can be hidden in hair. If wearing a necklace or the like, it is confiscated, and claw clips used to fasten hair are not allowed.
After the physical exam, I put on prison clothing. Cheongju Women's Prison is the only women-only correctional facility in the country, housing both convicted inmates and those awaiting trial. The prison clothing is light green for those awaiting trial and sky blue for the convicted.
The summer uniform consisted of long pants with a short-sleeved light green top over a thin sky-blue daily-wear shirt. On the left chest was a nameplate with the inmate number "6001," which is used instead of a name inside the prison.
The prison also tested the new inmate's psychological condition. That is because inmates with mental illness must be separately classified and managed before being placed in a housing unit. According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of inmates with mental illness across all correctional facilities rose 92%, from 3,296 in 2016 to 6,345 last year.
◇Eleven people packed into a 5-pyeong room… a "fan scramble" in the heat wave
Inmate "6001" passed through two iron gates and went up to the fourth floor of the housing unit. The windows in the corridor were set higher than an adult woman's height. The only thing in view was the deep blue sky.
The assigned communal room measured 16.62 square meters (about 5 pyeong). The capacity is five, but in reality nine to 11 people live there. That is because there are not enough facilities for the number of inmates. Except for time for exercise, labor, or visits, inmates must eat and sleep in this room.
When 10 reporters in prison uniforms and one correctional officer sat in a circle here, there was no room to stretch our legs. When we all lay on the floor together, it was hard to turn over, and some had to lie on their sides. I thought a fight could break out as people pushed one another away.
Correctional officers said that as the weather gets hotter, fights over spots increase among inmates. It is the so-called "fan scramble." The wall-mounted fans automatically shut off for 10 minutes after running for 50 minutes to prevent overheating. When you are gasping for air, even hot wind is better than nothing, so it seemed only natural nerves would fray.
The Ministry of Justice is pushing to install air conditioners in correctional facilities to prevent heat-related illnesses. They will be installed in corridors, not inside cells, and will also improve correctional officers' working conditions. Despite strong public criticism, voices on the ground say at least minimal cooling equipment is needed to prevent safety accidents caused by heat waves.
Meals were also taken in the room. When food arrived in containers, an inmate served as much as each person wanted onto trays. Some inmates, saying they were on a diet, skipped rice or made do with snacks bought with deposit money.
Inmates bathe once a day. They said it is hard to control washing time. Even if an inmate showers for a somewhat long time, it is not easy in practice to restrict it.
◇"I don't want the hard work of sweating"… mandatory labor, half of inmates refuse
If sentenced to imprisonment without labor, a person is confined in prison but does not perform forced labor. If sentenced to imprisonment with labor, not only is physical liberty taken away, but labor is also mandatory. Going to the workshop to work was called chulyeok (reporting for labor).
After lunch, we left the housing room and headed to the vocational training center. Here, for inmates who work, they teach flower arrangement, baking and pastry, and cosmetology. Most courses run for one year, and the correctional authorities support inmates in obtaining at least two certificates. The aim is to help them reintegrate stably into society after release.
However, many inmates reportedly refuse to report for labor. A prison official said, "By feel, more than half of inmates sentenced to imprisonment with labor are not reporting for work," and added, "You can earn daily wages if you work, but if family sends enough deposit money, they say they do not want to sweat and work." On the ground, they said it is difficult to force those who refuse to report for labor.
In fact, items inmates bought with deposit money could be seen on the shelves inside the housing room. There were vitamins and other supplements commonly sold in stores, gum medication, toner, and lotion.
There were also characteristics unique to a women-only prison. Depending on age, they called each other "eonni" and "baby," and close inmates used pet names like "honey." The prison said it discourages such forms of address out of concern that relationships formed during confinement could lead to other crimes after release.
Jung Sung-ho, Minister of the Ministry of Justice, who visited Cheongju Women's Prison that day, said, "The occupancy rate here is about 120%, and the problem of overcrowding is very serious," and added, "We will work to improve the poor working conditions on the correctional front lines and ultimately protect public safety."