Correctional Facilities ‘Complete Drug Withdrawal’ Increased by ₩4.8 Billion
On the 4th, the Ministry of Justice announced that the total expenditure for the 2026 Ministry of Justice budget and fund operation plan, finalized through the Cabinet meeting on the 29th, is ₩4.6973 trillion.
This is a 6.3% (₩280 billion) increase compared to the ₩4.4173 trillion in 2025. By account, the general account increased by 6.2% (₩264.7 billion), the Special Account for Correctional Work by 10.3% (₩7.4 billion), and the Crime Victim Protection Fund by 8.4% (₩7.9 billion).
The Ministry of Justice has prioritized the safety of citizens and respect for human rights values, focusing resources on three main areas: ▷Establishing a legal order for citizen safety ▷Innovative legal administration with citizen participation ▷Creating a legal environment that respects human rights values.
Specifically, the budget increased by ₩5.4 billion for the strengthened management and supervision of high-risk repeat offenders and enhanced victim protection from stalking and dating violence. The budget for preventing juvenile crime through the reorganization and operation of a juvenile justice integration agency and enhancing correctional education for high-risk juvenile offenders increased by ₩1.9 billion.
The budget for eliminating and preventing damage from civilian impact crimes such as drugs and voice phishing through building scientific investigation infrastructure, international cooperation activities, and providing phishing verification services (virtual asset tracking tools, etc.) was increased by ₩3 billion. The budget for introducing advanced drug smuggling prevention equipment and building infrastructure for addiction treatment and rehabilitation for the ‘complete drug withdrawal’ of drug inmates in correctional facilities also increased by ₩4.8 billion.
The budget to expand support for vulnerable groups by restructuring the ‘income-linked crime victim support’ and introducing ’emergency livelihood support funds’ for economic crisis victims increased by ₩2.6 billion. The funds for strengthening the management of crime risk groups and blocking factors of recidivism through building a legal administration system using AI technology for early detection and response to warning signs in criminal behavior analysis increased by ₩6.1 billion. Additionally, the budget for innovations in immigration administrative services, such as preemptively blocking high-risk individuals from entry based on AI technology and providing conversational AI civil consultation portal services, increased by ₩2.9 billion.
Considering last year’s fire damage, the budget for creating a safe work environment through the reinforcement of disaster safety facilities for fires and earthquakes, and expanding the foundation for ensuring inmates’ human rights, increased significantly from ₩5.1 billion this year to ₩64.9 billion in 2026 (₩59.8 billion↑).