Most people want to avoid prison at all costs. But in Hongcheon, South Korea, a prison-themed retreat is proving very popular among overworked individuals who want to escape from the stresses of modern life. Opened in 2008, “Prison Inside Me” is a essentially a prison — with 28 identical cells equipped with only the most basic of furnishings, such as a desk, yoga mat, tea set, a toilet, and washbowl. Guests have to wear a blue uniform and sleep on the floor. The cell doors are locked, although guests can still open them from the inside, and there is also a panic button. The facility, located two hours northeast of Seoul, allows the guests (inmates?) to spend their time in reflection and meditation. Phones and clocks are not allowed, and guests participate in chores around the prison, when they aren’t locked up in voluntary solitary confinement.
Escaping the world by going to prison:
South Koreans work an average of 2,069 hours per year, the second-most of any OECD country.
A week-long stay at Prison Inside Me costs around 500,000 South Korean won ($441 USD).
Prison Inside Me was co-founded by Kwon Yong-Seok and his wife, Noh Ji-Hyang. Kwon, a prosecutor, had been working 100-hour weeks and imagined a place where he could be free from all distractions and pressures.