Inseongyeokjeon Mokwon University Podcast Reaches Inmates: "What Is a Good Life? Reflecting"

On the 11th, Professor Won Eun-seok, who attended the 'Non-face-to-face Integrity and Character Education Awards Ceremony' in the lecture room of Busan Detention Center, is greeting the inmates. Provided by Mokwon University

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] “Having lived a life full of lies, I now find myself contemplating what a ‘good life’ truly means.” This is part of a reflection submitted by an inmate in the Busan Detention Center’s ‘Non-face-to-face Integrity and Character Education Essay Contest.’

The essay mainly contained the inmate’s reflections and regrets about life after listening to the internet radio (podcast) ‘Inseong Yeokjeon’ (Character Reversal).

‘Inseong Yeokjeon’ is an internet radio broadcast on the theme of character, operated since 2016 by Professor Won Eun-seok of the Basic Liberal Arts Department at Mokwon University’s Stokes College.

After listening to ‘Inseong Yeokjeon,’ the inmate shared, “Until now, I lied to avoid blame for my mistakes, and to cover up those lies, I had to create even bigger lies. It took me a long time to realize that a moment’s lie became a seed that brought unhappiness to myself and those around me.”

Mokwon University announced on the 24th that due to difficulties in conducting regular face-to-face education amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is utilizing ‘Inseong Yeokjeon’ as a listening-based non-face-to-face integrity and character education content for correctional facilities.

‘Inseong Yeokjeon’ has been introduced and utilized at Busan Detention Center this year, following its adoption at Busan Prison last year. The program is listened to for 15 minutes daily during lunchtime.

On the 11th of this month, an award ceremony was held for the essay contest on non-face-to-face integrity and character education for inmates who listened to ‘Inseong Yeokjeon,’ where 10 inmates received awards such as Excellence Awards and Integrity Character Awards.

The Busan Detention Center, which has introduced and is utilizing ‘Inseong Yeokjeon,’ highly evaluates the educational effectiveness of this program. Unlike traditional methods, inmates can participate in the program with focused attention for a short time daily, and the entertaining presentation style allows them to comfortably enjoy the program.

In fact, ‘Inseong Yeokjeon’ is conducted in a talk format involving experts from education (Professor Won Eun-seok), psychology (novelist Kim Hyun-kyung), and philosophy (Professor Hwang Soo-young of Chungnam National University), discussing various topics related to character.

An inmate at Busan Detention Center said in their reflection, “Listening to conversations among experts allowed me to view problems from diverse perspectives without feeling bored,” and “During the broadcast, I also had the opportunity to reflect on myself.”

‘Inseong Yeokjeon’ is recognized as a case demonstrating the potential for efficient character education and is also being used in non-face-to-face character education services for elementary, middle, and high schools, universities, and working adults beyond correctional facilities.

Initially, Mokwon University incorporated ‘Inseong Yeokjeon’ as a regular liberal arts course for character education, followed by its adoption as a liberal arts lecture at 12 universities nationwide.

‘Inseong Yeokjeon’ is available on internet radio platforms such as Podbbang, Podty, and Audioclip, and has also been published as a standalone book titled ‘Character is Also a Spec.’

In particular, it received certification as an ‘Integrity Character Education Content’ in 2019 from the Anti-Corruption National Movement Federation under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, recognizing its educational value.

Professor Won Eun-seok of Mokwon University stated, “We plan to expand related services so that ‘Inseong Yeokjeon’ can be widely utilized by various institutions in the future.”