[WEEKENDER] Inside Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates

Located roughly a 30-minute drive from Cheonan-Asan Station, Cheonan Correctional Institution is South Korea's sole facility dedicated to housing foreign inmates. Upon arrival, visitors must surrender all electronic devices and pass through a rigorous security check before proceeding through a series of heavy steel doors. This maze-like structure leads to the heart of the prison, which became the world's first correctional institute specifically designated for foreign nationals in 2010, a necessity due to the increasing number of foreign nationals in Korea and the rise in crimes committed by them throughout the 2000s.

As of August, the facility currently houses approximately 500 inmates from 51 different countries, alongside around 920 Korean nationals. Overcrowding has led to foreign nationals being dispersed across multiple prisons, including Daejeon and Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province. However, Cheonan remains the primary facility for addressing their needs, equipped with an International Affairs division.

Around 10 staff members at the prison are multilingual, proficient in languages such as English, Chinese, Russian, Thai, Mongolian, and Arabic. Their role is crucial in facilitating communication with inmates who speak these languages, assisting them with personal concerns and ensuring proper handling of their cases.