South Korea is one of the most overworked nations in the world, causing many citizens to escape their busy lifestyles by trading their work cubicles for a jail cell. You won’t find any convicted felons or hardened criminals at Hongcheon’s South Korean jail. Instead, inmates at the facility enter voluntarily. They’re locked in cells for 20 hours a day, without any contact with the outside world — no phones, no tablets, no computers. The complex is the brainchild of Kwon Yong-seok, a former prosecutor who worked 100-hour weeks. When the heavy work schedule began to wear on him physically and mentally, he and his wife, Noh Ji-hyang, decided to create the facility, called “Prison Inside Me.” Prisoners of all ages and from all walks of life come to the facility for recuperation, and all inmates must follow a strict regimen. The day begins at 6 a.m. sharp, when meals are handed out through door cubby holes. Each cell is about 53 square feet in size and comes equipped with a window, heated floors, a small table with some writing instruments, a tea set, and a yoga mat. There’s even a panic button in case of an emergency. Despite the jail-like atmosphere, operators say the purpose of the facility isn’t confinement or incarceration. “A person’s internal prison could be based on past experiences, one’s own disposition, personal relationships, or actions. Our goal is to help people discover and escape from those obstacles,” Ji-hyang explained. Many inmates at the facility are repeat offenders, coming back to the retreat on numerous occasions, but unlike actual prisoners, they’re more than happy to return.
