Former President Lee Myung-bak was again incarcerated in a 12-story, 4-pyeong cell at the East Detention Center.

Former President Lee Myung-bak, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison on charges of embezzlement of tens of billions of billions of dollars and bribery, spent a night at the East Seoul Detention Center. On the afternoon of the 2nd, the former president arrived at the detention center and was assigned to a room on the 12th floor (a solitary room) after conducting a physical examination, taking possession of his belongings and taking photographs of the prison records called ‘ mugshots’.

The room in which he was imprisoned was a solitary room of about 4 pyeong (13.07㎡) with a bathroom, where he lived for about a week when he was redeemed for a second sentence. There is TV, bedding, dining table, locker and sink. If there is no clemency or parole, former President Lee will remain in prison until 2036.

According to the Ministry of Justice on the 3rd, former President Lee, who was transferred to the East Seoul Detention Center in Munjeong-dong, Seoul the day before, will be treated as a prisoner in accordance with the relevant laws, as will the common prisoners. The Dongbu Detention Center was opened in 2017 after expanding from the Seongdong Detention Center, and is considered the newest center among the detention centers across the country. However, to avoid friction with the prisoners, some schedules will be separated under the direction of the guards in charge.

According to the weekly menu of the East Seoul Detention Center, the menu for this morning, the former president’s second meal, was modern soup, beef bulgogi and cabbage kimchi. Former President Lee, who is housed in a living room, has to dine alone in the room, then wash and return dishes and utensils himself.

In the future, President Lee will be able to wake up and sleep, exercise and bathe in the same way as general prisoners. Inmates wake up at 6:30 am and go to bed at 9:00 pm. Former President Lee is said to have also woke up earlier in the day and started the day.

Get light exercise within an hour a day. There are no outdoor facilities at the Seoul East Detention Center, so the exercise is conducted in the inner courtyard. Simple cleaning is possible in the sink in a single room, but the hot water bath is done at least once a week, depending on the number of times. However, considering age and health status, the detention director may extend the exercise time or increase the number of toilets.

Gi-Gil-soo should in principle work with common prisoners, but the former president is expected to be barred from work due to his old age and chronic illness. Former President Lee spends most of his time in a single room watching television or reading.

Former President Lee, who will be mostly alone in solitary confinement, has little time to meet with people other than interviews. In the case of the number of periods, the number of interviews is determined according to the grade (S1 ~ S4). However, former President Lee is expected to be classified as the lowest grade, grade S4, and will be temporarily limited in number (4 times a month) until the classification review takes place next month. In the case of sentenced prisoners, in principle, interviews with lawyers are prohibited unless there are other cases.

Former President Lee is incarcerated in a detention center even though he is in a period of time, but there is a possibility that he will be transferred to prison soon. In accordance with the relevant law, prisons, such as detention centers, conduct a selection of triage treatment meetings on the 7th of each month to determine the level of treatment of prisoners. Former President Lee is also expected to take a ranking test on the 7th of next month. Then the detention center decides whether to transfer to another prison based on the level of the former president or related matters.

According to the Former Presidents Courtesy Act, courtesy in accordance with the law is suspended for presidents who have been sentenced to more than one prison sentence. However, the Ministry of Justice explains that there is no rule that excludes the application of security or the security part. Consequently, the prison authorities plan to deploy a plurality of guards in charge to avoid friction between the former president and other prisoners and to guarantee personal safety.