'Drug, Robbery, and Violence' Foreign Crimes Increased... Need for Resident Management

Foreign Drug Offenders 'Increase for 5 Consecutive Years'... Surpassed 1,700 Last Year
Illegal Immigrants Involved in Crimes Using Burner Phones and Alias Bank Accounts

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] In November last year, 26 foreigners were caught in a mass drug party at a karaoke room in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. In May of the same year, a man in his 60s from China assaulted and killed a man in his 60s while under the influence of methamphetamine, robbing him of money. A teenager from Russia and a man in his 20s from Uzbekistan broke into a massage parlor in Danwon-gu, Ansan, and committed robbery.

Due to the increase in foreign residents and the easing of social distancing measures, foreigner-related crimes increased last year. This year, with the rise in both foreign tourists and long- and short-term foreign residents, foreigner-related crimes are also expected to increase slightly.

◆Robberies up 148% and drug offenses continue to rise= According to the '2023 Security Outlook by Sector' published by the Institute for Security Policy, as of September last year, foreigner-related crimes totaled 25,745 cases, an increase of 1,954 cases compared to the same period in 2021 (23,791 cases). By nationality, Chinese nationals (12,252 people) accounted for the largest number of suspects, followed by Vietnamese (2,742) and Thai nationals (2,071).

The number of foreigners booked for sexual assault incidents, which frequently occur in multi-use facilities, was 397 as of September 2021 but increased by 44% to 575 in the same period last year. During the same period, robbery and violence cases also rose by 148% and 21%, respectively. The report analyzed that this was influenced by the lifting of social distancing and the removal of operating hour restrictions for multi-use facilities.

From 2019 to 2021, when social distancing due to COVID-19 was strengthened, crimes such as murder, robbery, and violence decreased annually. However, even then, the number of drug-related crime arrests was on the rise. Over the past five years, the number of foreign suspects involved in drug crimes has increased every year. Foreign drug offenders, who numbered in the 500s in 2018, surged to 1,757 last year. The legalization of marijuana, a drug, in several countries including Canada, the United States, and Thailand has lowered the vigilance of foreign residents, and non-face-to-face transactions through platforms like Telegram have accelerated the crimes.

◆Illegal residents involved in crimes... "Regulation of criminal records needed"= There are concerns that illegal foreign residents may be exposed to various crimes by exploiting their uncertain identities. There have been cases where international mail was used as a major route for drug smuggling, such as Thai courier companies sending international parcels with fake recipients and fake addresses. Most illegal residents actively participate in various crimes using burner phones and accounts under false names, making it difficult for the police to track them. A police official explained, "If illegal residents are not caught immediately at the scene after an incident occurs, it is very difficult to apprehend them," adding, "In fraud cases, if burner accounts are involved, securing evidence is practically impossible."

Even when incidents occur and suspects are caught, investigations themselves are not easy. When foreigner-related crimes occur, local police stations conduct investigations through professional interpreters. If incidents happen late in the afternoon or evening, scheduling with interpreters can be difficult, causing delays in investigations. A police official said, "After arresting a suspect, we contact the interpreter to arrange a schedule," adding, "If an incident happens in the middle of the night, the suspect is detained and investigated the next day."

The report stated, "Even if foreign workers have multiple criminal records in their home countries, these are not verified upon entry into Korea," and emphasized the need for regulations on foreign workers' criminal records through the Employment Permit System. Furthermore, it argued that in-depth discussions are necessary regarding the increase in drug crimes among foreigners from visa-exempt countries, such as Thailand, which has a visa waiver agreement with Korea allowing stays of up to 90 days without a visa.