Pastor of a Pioneer Church Facilitating Illegal Entry of Vietnamese Nationals... Suspended Sentence

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] A pastor accused of facilitating the entry of Vietnamese nationals by issuing false invitation letters has been sentenced to probation.

Judge Park Miseon of the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 9 sentenced Mr. A (48), who was tried for violating the Immigration Control Act, to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation period. Additionally, 120 hours of community service were ordered.

Mr. A, a pioneering church pastor and a mobile phone business operator in Incheon, is accused of conspiring with two Vietnamese nationals around October 18, 2018, to illegally facilitate their entry by preparing false identity guarantee documents as if inviting them for business purposes.

During the trial, Mr. A fully denied the charges, stating, "I am not involved in the invitation of the two Vietnamese nationals, and I do not know how the invitation letter was issued under the name of the company I operated, nor how the certificate of seal impression was submitted."

However, Judge Park rejected the defendant's and defense counsel's claims, considering that the company-issued invitation letter and identity guarantee letter dated October 18, 2018, were attached with a certificate of seal impression issued to Mr. A on September 21 of the same year; a copy of Mr. A's resident registration card was attached to the visa application documents and matched the resident registration card in his possession; and although the invitation letter stated that the invitees would be guided through business status and factory visits, no actual business operations were conducted.

Judge Park pointed out, "By issuing false invitation letters, foreign nationals of Vietnamese nationality were able to obtain visas to enter the country, and those who entered under Mr. A's false invitation overstayed their permitted period or are still residing illegally in the country. Mr. A was previously fined in 2008 for similar crimes and sentenced to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation in 2015."

However, Judge Park explained the sentencing by noting, "The number of foreigners who entered using false invitation letters was not large."