"Facing Jail for Unpaid Fines"... Jean Valjean Bank Lends 75 Million Won to 25 People

Loans of 1 to 5 Million Won Provided Without Collateral or Interest
Approximately 3 Billion Won Lent to 1,669 People Since Founding

Jean Valjean Bank has decided to lend a total of 74.82 million won, without collateral or interest, to 25 people who are at risk of being sent to prison for failing to pay fines.

According to Jean Valjean Bank on September 1, 2026, 25 applicants were selected as loan recipients during the 143rd loan review held the previous day.

The total amount of support is 74.82 million won. Among the beneficiaries, the oldest is 67 years old, and the youngest is 25 years old. By age group, those born in the 1980s made up the largest portion with 9 recipients, followed by 8 recipients born in the 1990s and 4 people born in the 1970s.

This round’s review panel included former Commissioner General Min Gapryong, Professor Seo Bohak of Kyung Hee University Law School, Professor Emeritus Yang Youngcheol of Jeju National University Department of Public Administration, Professor Emeritus Ha Taehoon of Korea University Law School, lawyer Lee Dongwoo, Oh Changik, Secretary General of Human Rights Solidarity, and former Human Rights Solidarity researcher Cho Yongchul.

Jean Valjean Bank stated, “This amount of loan is the largest since the bank’s establishment,” and expressed regret, adding, “It is unfortunate that the number of cases where people are imprisoned because they cannot pay fines continues to remain high.”

Founded in 2015, Jean Valjean Bank is a project run by the civic group Human Rights Solidarity to reduce the number of people jailed for being unable to pay fines due to financial hardship. It is operated entirely through donations from regular citizens without any support from the government or corporations.

Jean Valjean Bank reviews loan eligibility for individuals who have been sentenced to fines, excluding those convicted of serious crimes such as sex offenses involving illegal filming or drunk driving.

Loans of approximately 1 million to 5 million won are granted without collateral or interest after a review of each applicant’s story, without a credit check.

Since its establishment, Jean Valjean Bank has lent around 3 billion won to 1,669 beneficiaries, with loan funds donated by 22,601 supporters, both individuals and organizations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.