Ex-President Park’s jail menu draws public attention

Public interest in former President Park Geun-hye’s life in prison reached another peak following a recent leak of Seoul Detention Center prisoners’ weekly food menu, a local media outlet reported Wednesday.

Food at the Seoul Detention Center is better than average school meals provided to students, according to Dispatch. The leaked menu included Western food, such as morning bread, soup and salad, and Korean staples such as rice cake soup, chapjae noodles and pork kimchi stew. 

The menu also took into consideration the health of the inmates at Seoul Detention Center with the inclusion of chicken stew and beef seaweed soup.

“In the past, inmates were on a restricted diet of only ‘bean rice,’ but that all changed looking at the menu at present detention centers,” according to the KBS news video released in 2015.

One meal at the Seoul Detention Center is priced approximately 1,500 won ($1.30). 

Most of the online community expressed their displeasure at the current food menu catered to inmates, saying those who have committed crimes are living in a better environment than normal law abiding citizens.

One online community member expressed anger and disbelief at the idea of detainees being fed decent meals.

“Many college students cannot even afford hot meals, have to starve or buy kimbap from the convenience store. How does former President Park who has committed a federal crime and deceived our whole nation get to receive such good treatment?”

(cec82@heraldcorp.com)