By Honorary Reporter Faranak Solat from Iran
Photos = Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Employment and Labor

The Ministry of Justice on Sept. 17 hosted a media tour of the Hwaseong Correctional Institution for Vocational Training in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do Province, to introduce how this prison provides practical education and rehabilitation.

The ministry-run institution was officially opened in August 2009 and remains the nation's lone facility of its kind. An estimated 1,000 inmates at the prison take 26 courses each year.

Trainees are selected from prisons across the country based on their willingness to participate in vocational training, remaining sentence and eligibility. They are transferred to the institution for training and later return to their original prisons.

Courses are offered in fields including welding, woodworking, car maintenance, computer-aided machining, baking and pastry making, Korean and Chinese cooking, tile installation and mechanical design.

Training in newer technologies is also available. A 3D printing and mechanical design class teaches skills such as modeling, technical drawing, scanning and product creation.
Another on tile installation covers practical techniques used in construction including preparation, cutting and installation in a training environment that reflects real working conditions.

The programs consist of both theoretical and practical instruction, and inmates who take certification exams have a passing rate of 98%.

Obtaining a certificate does not guarantee a job after release, so employment support is provided alongside training.

Job fairs before release allow participating companies to introduce positions and meet qualified trainees. Interviews are also arranged, and trainees can get connected with companies seeking workers with specific technical skills.

Many inmates are known to return to their previous occupations after completing their sentences. Yet prison sources said 10-15 former inmates got jobs in other fields thanks to new skills they acquired through the program.

The Korea Correctional Service, a ministry affiliate that manages the country's prisons, inmate rehabilitation and parole, said such training at the Hwaseong prison seeks to facilitate stable reintegration into society after release. At the facility, that goal is pursued by combining practical skills training, certification opportunities, employment assistance and rehabilitation.

ljyhwa@korea.kr

*This article was written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.