Justice Ministry responds to online criticism of 'luxurious' prison, says image not accurate
Published: 31 Mar. 2026, 14:04
![This aerial render has circulated online as depicting a planned women’s prison in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, stoking criticism. However, the Ministry of Justice has said the render does not reflect the final plan. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/31/1a27298b-56b1-42a2-a9f9-0fd15353266c.jpg)
This aerial render has circulated online as depicting a planned women’s prison in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, stoking criticism. However, the Ministry of Justice has said the render does not reflect the final plan. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
The Ministry of Justice said Monday that a widely circulated rendering of a planned women’s prison in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, does not reflect the final design, after the images drew online criticism for appearing overly luxurious.
The image, which spread online as “Hwaseong Women’s Prison rendering,” depicts a complex that online users said resembled a resort or a university campus.
The Justice Ministry earlier announced plans to build three new correctional facilities by 2030 — a women’s prison in Hwaseong, a detention center in northern Gyeonggi and a prison in Namwon, North Jeolla — citing a rise in the inmate population.
Online reactions were divided. Some users criticized the design, saying “Should a prison really look this luxurious?” and “This is a waste of taxpayer money.” Others took a more positive view, saying “Improving the exterior seems like a measure for nearby residents.”
The Justice Ministry said the rendering in question was not part of its final plan, according to a DongA.com report on Monday.
An architectural firm produced the image six to seven years ago during the bidding process, but the ministry did not adopt the proposal. The firm has since removed the image from its website.
“There is a separate rendering under consideration and it is not a luxurious design like the one that sparked controversy,” the ministry is quoted as saying.
The selected design is reportedly similar to recently completed correctional facilities in Wonju, Sokcho and Daegu.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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