Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
South Korean Prisoners Received More Than 73 Billion Won in Aid
Over about two years, 73,565 aid payments went to people in South Korean prisons and detention centers.
The payments were for two government programs: consumer vouchers issued last year and high-oil-price relief issued this year.
The total is estimated at more than 7.3 billion won, assuming each payment was worth at least 100,000 won; the exact amount is not known.
The count covers cases where prison officials applied on a prisoner’s behalf, so it does not include all applications made by family members.
Prisoners were not excluded under the programs’ rules, which considered income but did not bar people in custody.
They cannot use the vouchers while imprisoned; the vouchers are kept separately and returned or passed to family or friends when the person is released.
Lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun says the eligibility rules and application process should be reviewed, but no change is reported.
South Korean prisoners received 73,565 portions of government support coupons and high oil-price relief payments over about two years, according to data submitted by the Justice Ministry.
The total value is estimated to exceed 7.3 billion won, assuming each recipient received at least 100,000 won.
Prisoners are not excluded from the payments under separate rules, which apply income criteria to eligible residents.
The reported count covers cases in which prison officials applied on prisoners’ behalf; the actual number may be higher because families also applied.
The coupons are kept separately and cannot be used by prisoners while they are incarcerated.
- Who
- Prisoners in South Korean prisons and detention centres.
- What
- They received 73,565 portions of support coupons and high oil-price relief payments, worth an estimated more than 7.3 billion won.
- When
- Over about two years: the coupons were issued last year and the high oil-price payments this year.
- Where
- South Korean prisons and detention centres.
- Why
- The payment rules do not exclude prisoners; eligibility is based on income for citizens residing in South Korea.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Prisoners received 34,201 first-round and 20,282 second-round livelihood recovery consumption coupons.
19,082 prisoners received high oil-price relief payments.
The Justice Ministry provided the figures to lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun, according to the reports.
News outlets reported that the total counted 73,565 portions and was estimated to exceed 7.3 billion won.
- Total counted
- 73,565 portions
- Estimated value
- More than 7.3 billion won, assuming at least 100,000 won per portion
- First-round coupons
- 34,201 recipients
- Second-round coupons
- 20,282 recipients
- High oil-price relief
- 19,082 recipients
- Average daily prison population
- 63,680 in the previous year
3 sources
What people are saying
We need to consider whether giving livelihood support payments to prisoners who are provided with food and accommodation fits the purpose of the system.
Local governments directly review applications and issue gift certificates, so there are limits to estimating the exact total amount paid.
Staff end up being assigned extra work for two or three months, which causes difficulties.