Centre in Korea providing busy, stressed out and frazzled Koreans a chance at tranquility and self-reflection.
Hongcheon, South Korea – Jong Hwa-nam was looking up holiday destinations for her summer break when she came across a week-long meditation programme offered by Prison Inside Me.
Instead of going on a vacation, the 50-year-old signed up for a programme because he felt « it was for me ».
« Strangely, I always had this animosity and distrust of people. They were unpleasant feelings, » Jong told Al Jazeera at the centre in Hongcheon, about 100km from the capital Seoul.
« After self-reflection here, I came to the conclusion that animosity and distrust can easily be eradicated, and that we are the same people, pursuing the same values. »
Prison Inside Me was launched in 2008 by Kwon Yong-seok, a former prosecutor who used to work 100 hours a week who could not stop working even though he was « very tired ».
« I was exhausted physically and mentally but I wasn’t brave enough to quit my job. I didn’t know what to do with my life, » said Kwon.
« Then I thought about being in solitary confinement for a week. Deciding where I should go next would become a bit clearer with no cigarettes, drinks, human relations, a boss and stressful work. And that’s how I came up with the idea of Prison Inside Me. »
More than 2,000 people have checked into Prison Inside Me over the years. Programmes range from 24-hour stays to week-long ones. Patrons have included office workers, students, corporate bosses and stay-at-home mothers.
They spend their time in one of the 28 cells. There are spiritual group activities and a guidebook. But most of the time spent at the centre is in confinement in a room with a diary, yoga mat and a panic button. South Korea’s working habit
In 2017, the average South Korean spent around 2,024 hours working, the third-highest among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
It was the most overworked nation in Asia with 300 more hours on average than the US.
In order to improve work-life balance, South Korea cut its working hours from 68 to 52 a week in July this year.
