Looking back the history of prisons and penal practices of Korea, it is certain that the system was based on humanism. From the ancient times, immunity system and release system in the wake of festivals were conducted, and inmates were given opportunities to have trials twice.

Chosun Dynasty, succeeding many prisons and penal practice systems from those of Koryeo Dynasty, established new laws and promoted socialization of prisoners while reducing death penalty as possible and tried to prevent abusive punishment by making regulations of how to use implements of torture, their standards and procedures but it is evaluated that they were not good enough. Laws for modern imprisonment were taken up through national innovation and in 1898 detailed imprisonment regulations for the enhanced treatment of inmates or detainees (prison labor, letters, reception, payment, etc) were also founded but these attempts were frustrated by the Japanese colonial rule of Korea.

Following the establishment of the Korean Government in 1948, democratic corrections procedure and law were prepared in 1950. Since the 1960s, along with a remarkably rapid economic development, Korea correctional administration gotten a turning point for further advancement through continuous construction of correctional facilities and revisions of its penal code.

Recently, Tele Medical Care System was introduced, and Halfway House was installed. In addition, Integrated Corrections Broadcasting System, Private Correctional Institution (Somang Institution) and special correctional centers for foreign inmates were newly established.