Once shunned, prisons become sought-after facilities for local communities

Seven municipal governments are competing to host four new correctional facilities under the Ministry of Justice’s first nationwide competitive bidding process for prison sites. Each facility is planned to hold 1,000 inmates and employ about 250 staff members. Local governments hope the facilities will bring jobs, residents and spending to communities facing population decline and economic stagnation. However, the facilities are not expected to be completed until 2034, and their economic impact may depend on investment in housing, schools and other infrastructure.

The Ministry of Justice launched its nationwide call for applications on Aug. 28, and municipalities must obtain resident input and local council approval before submitting bids.

Yeongdeok’s bid received local council approval on Thursday, while Yeongyang submitted its bid to the Justice Ministry on Oct. 12.

In Jinbo-myeon, which has four correctional facilities, 6,861 people live alongside approximately 1,100 correctional officers, and the facilities draw around 14,000 visitors annually.

A survey of 931 Yeongdeok residents aged 18 and older, conducted from Oct. 20 to 22, found 80.8 percent supported hosting a correctional facility.

A Jecheon survey found 61.7 percent supported hosting a facility and 38.3 percent opposed it; Yeongyang cited a 2022 survey showing 86.6 percent support.

Published Oct 31, 2026 7:00 am KST

7 municipalities vie to host new correctional facilities in hopes of stemming population decline, reviving local economies

A hallway of cells at Cheonan Correctional Institution, Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates, in South Chungcheong Province, Aug. 6 / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Prisons, once widely regarded as undesirable facilities, are now drawing competition from local governments seeking to revive shrinking communities and struggling economies.

Seven municipal governments are competing to host four new correctional facilities as part of the Ministry of Justice’s first nationwide competitive bidding process for prison sites.

The ministry launched a nationwide call for applications on Aug. 28, marking the first time it has used a competitive bidding process to select sites for new correctional facilities.

Previously, sites were chosen through consultations between the ministry and local governments. Under the new system, municipalities must seek residents' input and obtain approval from their local councils before submitting bids.

The four planned facilities will each have a capacity of 1,000 inmates and employ around 250 staff members.

Graphic by Bae So-young

Seven local governments have joined the race, including the counties of Yeongyang, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok and Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province, the city of Jecheon and Boeun County in North Chungcheong Province and Jeongseon County in Gangwon Province.

Yeongdeok's bid gained approval from its local council on Thursday, clearing a key hurdle in the application process.

The growing competition reflects a shift in attitudes toward prisons, traditionally shunned over safety concerns and their perceived impact on surrounding communities.

For municipalities grappling with population decline and economic stagnation, the potential economic benefits are increasingly outweighing such concerns.

Local officials hope correctional officers and their families will settle in the area, while visits by inmates' relatives could boost spending at local businesses. Prisons could also create jobs and generate demand for locally grown agricultural products and other supplies.

Cheongsong County in North Gyeongsang Province is one example of how correctional facilities can help sustain local economies.

Jinbo-myeon, a small town home to four correctional facilities, has a population of 6,861, with approximately 1,100 correctional officers working in the area. The facilities also draw around 14,000 visitors annually.

The prospect of economic revitalization appears to be outweighing longstanding concerns over prisons, with residents in several communities increasingly welcoming the facilities.

In Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang Province, 80.8 percent of 931 residents aged 18 and older surveyed from Oct. 20 to 22 supported hosting a correctional facility.

A similar survey in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, found 61.7 percent in favor and 38.3 percent opposed.

Yeongyang County, which submitted its bid to the Justice Ministry on Oct. 12, cited a 2022 survey showing 86.6 percent support among residents as evidence of strong local backing.

Cheongsong County, which already hosts four correctional facilities, is seeking to attract another, citing more than four decades of experience as evidence of strong local acceptance.

Still, attracting a prison does not necessarily translate into immediate economic benefits for host communities.

The four planned correctional facilities are not expected to be completed until 2034, meaning it could take years before they begin easing prison overcrowding or generating meaningful economic activity in surrounding areas.

Another challenge is ensuring that correctional officers and their families actually settle in the communities where the facilities are built, rather than commuting from neighboring cities. This would require local governments to invest in adequate housing, schools and other essential infrastructure to make the areas attractive places to live.

Without improvements in living conditions and infrastructure, the anticipated influx of residents and consumer spending may fall short of local governments' expectations, limiting the long-term economic impact of hosting correctional facilities.

七个市政府正在竞标，争取在司法部首次全国范围内公开招标建设监狱用地，以承建四座新的惩教设施。每座设施计划容纳1000名囚犯，并雇用约250名工作人员。地方政府希望这些设施能够为面临人口下降和经济停滞的社区带来就业机会、居民和消费。然而，这些设施预计要到2034年才能竣工，其经济影响可能取决于对住房、学校和其他基础设施的投资。

司法部于 8 月 28 日启动了全国范围内的申请征集，各市在提交投标书之前必须获得居民的意见和地方议会的批准。

永德市的申请于周四获得地方议会批准，而永阳市的申请则于 10 月 12 日提交给了司法部。

在拥有四座惩教设施的真保面，6861名囚犯与约1100名惩教人员共同生活，这些设施每年吸引约14000名访客。

10 月 20 日至 22 日对 931 名 18 岁及以上的永德居民进行的调查发现，80.8% 的人支持设立惩教设施。

堤川的一项调查发现，61.7% 的人支持建设该设施，38.3% 的人反对；荣阳援引 2022 年的一项调查显示，86.6% 的人支持建设该设施。

发布于2026年10月31日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

7个市镇竞相争取新建惩教设施，希望以此遏制人口下降，振兴当地经济。

8月6日，韩国忠清南道天安惩教所（韩国唯一一所专门关押外国囚犯的监狱）的牢房走廊。（韩国时报 崔元硕 摄）

监狱曾经被普遍认为是不受欢迎的场所，但现在却面临着地方政府的竞争，这些地方政府希望借此振兴萎缩的社区和陷入困境的经济。

七个市政府正在竞相争取在司法部开展的全国监狱用地竞标项目中建设四个新的惩教设施。

8月28日，该部向全国发出申请邀请，这是该部首次采用竞争性招标程序来选择新建惩教设施的地点。

此前，选址由相关部门与地方政府协商决定。新制度下，各市镇必须先征求居民意见，并获得地方议会的批准，才能提交投标书。

计划中的四座监狱每座可容纳 1000 名囚犯，并雇用约 250 名工作人员。

插图由裴素英绘制

共有七个地方政府加入了竞选，包括庆尚北道的盈阳郡、清松郡、盈德郡和义城郡，忠清北道的堤川市和报恩郡，以及江原道的旌善郡。

周四，永德的申请获得了当地议会的批准，扫清了申请过程中的一个关键障碍。

日益激烈的竞争反映出人们对监狱的态度发生了转变，过去人们出于安全考虑以及对周边社区的影响，对监狱避而远之。

对于面临人口下降和经济停滞的城市而言，潜在的经济效益正日益超过这些担忧。

当地官员希望狱警及其家属能在该地区定居，同时囚犯亲属的探访也能促进当地企业的消费。监狱还可以创造就业机会，并带动对当地农产品和其他物资的需求。

庆尚北道清松郡就是一个例子，说明惩教机构如何能够帮助维持当地经济。

真保面是一个人口仅有6861人的小镇，镇上设有四所监狱，约有1100名狱警在此工作。这些监狱每年还吸引约14000名游客前来参观。

经济复苏的前景似乎超过了人们对监狱的长期担忧，一些社区的居民越来越欢迎监狱的建设。

在庆尚北道灵德郡，10 月 20 日至 22 日期间，对 931 名 18 岁及以上居民进行的调查显示，80.8% 的人支持设立惩教设施。

在忠清北道堤川市进行的一项类似调查发现，61.7% 的人赞成，38.3% 的人反对。

10月12日，宁阳郡向司法部提交了申办申请，并援引2022年的一项调查结果，该调查显示86.6%的居民支持申办，以此证明当地政府的强力支持。

青松郡目前已有四所教养院，正寻求再建一所，并援引四十多年的经验作为当地民众强烈接受教养院的证据。

然而，吸引监狱入驻并不一定能立即给当地社区带来经济利益。

计划中的四座惩教设施预计要到 2034 年才能完工，这意味着可能需要数年时间才能开始缓解监狱过度拥挤或在周边地区产生有意义的经济活动。

另一个挑战是确保狱警及其家人能够真正定居在监狱所在地的社区，而不是从邻近城市通勤。这就需要地方政府投资建设充足的住房、学校和其他必要的基础设施，使这些地区成为宜居之地。

如果生活条件和基础设施没有改善，预期的居民涌入和消费支出可能达不到地方政府的预期，从而限制了设立惩教设施的长期经济影响。