South Korea: Seven Municipalities Bid to Host New Prisons as Justice Ministry Plans Four Facilities by 2034 at 241.9 Billion Won Each
Seven South Korean municipalities have applied to host new correctional facilities, officials said on November 4, a surprise turnout for sites once shunned by residents, apparently amid growing concerns over regional extinction driven by declining populations. The southeastern counties of Yeongdeok, Yeongyang, Uiseong and Cheongsong, the central city of Jecheon and Boeun County, and the eastern county of Jeongseon submitted bids under the government's plan to build four new prisons by 2034.
The Ministry of Justice plans to inject 241.9 billion won (US$180.8 million) into each new facility; each will hold 1,000 prisoners and employ 250 correctional officials. The ministry accepted applications until November 4 and will finalise the sites in December. The bidding municipalities hope the facilities will bring jobs and support local economies and populations, and expect a boost to local spending from visitors to the facilities.
Local support has been vocal: an opinion poll last month found 80.8 percent of Yeongdeok residents approving of hosting a facility, and some 500 people rallied in Yeongyang on October 27 in support of their county's bid. South Korea has long grappled with chronically low birth rates and an over-concentration of population in the capital region, leaving many municipalities outside Seoul searching for ways to counter population decline.
Source: 韩国法务部
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：韩国庆尚北道盈德郡的东海岸（资料图），jbl4430 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 3.0 授权 / Photo: The east coast at Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea (file photo), by jbl4430, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
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