"Is This a Prison or a Resort?" Ministry of Justice Denies Viral Rendering

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According to Financial News, a set of images circulating online as the architectural rendering of a new Hwaseong Women's Prison has stirred debate, prompting the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to clarify that the rendering was never an adopted design.
Recently, several design images were posted online under the title "Hwaseong Women's Prison Rendering."
The rendering spreading online was originally uploaded to the website of the architect responsible for designing the prison. At a glance, the images evoke a resort or a university campus. Alongside the rendering, the project name "Hwayu" was presented, with descriptions emphasizing "warmth like a mother's embrace" and "architecture that incorporates the graceful curves of traditional Korean dress."
After the controversy grew, the post was removed from the architect's website.
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People who saw the images online shared a wide range of reactions.
Negative comments included remarks such as, "It looks so nice people will say it's better than their own homes—it's basically a hotel," and "This isn’t encouraging crime, but it is a waste of taxpayers’ money."
Others reacted more positively, saying, "Improving the exterior seems like a measure for residents living near the prison," and, "Given that prisons are widely seen as undesirable facilities, they probably released this kind of rendering to address that perception."
As the debate continued, the Ministry of Justice also issued a statement.
According to Dong-A.com on the 30th, the Ministry of Justice said the rendering shared online is not the actual design for the new Hwaseong Women's Prison. The ministry explained that it was created by an architectural firm during the bidding process six to seven years ago and that this proposal was never selected.
Earlier, as the number of inmates in correctional facilities surged, the Ministry of Justice announced plans to build three new facilities by 2030: Hwaseong Women's Prison, Gyeonggi Northern Detention Center, and Namwon Prison.
y27k@fnnews.com Reporter Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter