On June 12, when South Korea's national football team came from behind to beat the Czech Republic in its opening match of the 2026 World Cup in North America, inmates at prisons and detention centers across the country could not watch the game. Former President Yoon Suk-yeol, held at the Seoul Detention Center, was no exception. So will they be able to watch upcoming World Cup matches?
To put the conclusion first, the chances are slim. "There is currently no plan for recorded broadcasts of Korea's World Cup matches," a Ministry of Justice official explained June 12.
Inmates normally watch educational programs and news through "Borami Broadcasting," programmed by the Ministry of Justice itself. Apart from live news, it operates mostly around recorded programs.
In fact, the day's Borami Broadcasting schedule allocated four terrestrial channels — KBS1, MBC, SBS, and EBS1 — from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The first group-stage match between Korea and the Czech Republic was not included.
Still, there are exceptions. The Ministry of Justice explains that if national interest or the significance of an event grows, such as Korea advancing to the round of 16, it could consider programming the broadcasts.
◇ Inmates Do Watch TV — So Why Are Live World Cup Broadcasts Difficult? = Under current rules, inmates at correctional facilities can watch TV. According to Article 48 of the Act on the Execution of Sentences and Treatment of Inmates (the Sentence Execution Act), inmates may listen to the radio or watch TV for emotional stability and the acquisition of culture.
However, they cannot freely choose the channels they want. The enforcement decree of the Sentence Execution Act stipulates that a correctional facility head may set broadcasting hours within six hours per day. Inmates may watch recorded or live broadcasts, and viewable programming consists of educational, rehabilitative, cultural, and entertainment content. Sports broadcasts such as the World Cup fall under entertainment content.
Ultimately, whether inmates at correctional facilities can watch Korea's World Cup matches depends on whether the Ministry of Justice and the facilities program those matches as separate broadcasts.
◇ Live Broadcasts in 2002 and 2006 — Things Could Change With a Round-of-16 Run = There have been past cases of specially programming live World Cup broadcasts. The 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup is a prime example. At the time, considering that Korea was a host nation, inmates were also allowed to watch live broadcasts of major matches. Of course, most matches were held during the day or evening, making viewing possible during regular hours.
During the 2006 Germany World Cup, the Ministry of Justice allowed all matches to be watched live, citing national unity. Broadcasts could be viewed on TVs installed in each cell, and separate sleeping arrangements were provided for inmates who did not wish to watch football. In World Cups held afterward, only some major matches were broadcast live, or late-night matches were recorded and aired the following day.
At the time, among the roughly 47,000 inmates held at 47 prisons and nine detention centers nationwide, at least 46,000 watched Korea's first qualifying match against Togo at the Germany World Cup. That meant more than 98% of inmates nationwide watched the game.
◇ Ministry of Justice Also Reveals Inside of Yoon's Solitary Cell = Meanwhile, amid recent allegations of various privileges surrounding former President Yoon's life in detention, the Ministry of Justice has repeatedly stressed that "the same principles apply to all inmates."
On June 10, the Ministry of Justice revealed the interior of a solitary cell at the Seoul Detention Center through its official YouTube channel "Law TV." The video showed a solitary cell of about 6.76 square meters (about 2 pyeong) and scenes of detention life. The solitary cell has a structure with an attached toilet, a space just large enough for one adult man to barely lie down. It was also shown that shoes are stored not inside the room but on an upper shelf outside the iron door.
Inside, there was a TV, an electric fan, a small shelf for storing personal items, and a notice on inmate conduct rules. A scene was also reenacted of an inmate making a temporary shelf out of a cardboard box and placing a meal tray on it to eat.
In the video, the Ministry of Justice explained, "No matter who causes a stir in the world, there can be no exception within the iron doors," adding, "What moves this place is not privilege but principle."
Earlier, some YouTubers raised allegations that former President Yoon was using multiple solitary cells or that a cleaner in the detention block was providing him separate personal care. But the Ministry of Justice rebutted, "Former President Yoon is using only one solitary cell, identical to ordinary inmate cells, and there is no dedicated cleaner."
