Illegal Foreigners to Be Directly Apprehended... Controversy Over Private Sanctions by Some Groups

The photo shows a refugee opposition group calling for the deportation of illegal immigrants and the abolition of the Anti-Discrimination Act, which is unrelated to the content of the article. [Photo by Asia Economy]

Some groups are causing controversy over private sanctions by privately detaining foreigners suspected of being illegal immigrants.

Recently, numerous videos have been uploaded on a TikTok channel named 'Jagukmin Boho Yeondae' (National Citizens Protection Solidarity), showing migrant workers being forcibly caught and handed over to the police in various regions across the country, including Daegu and Daejeon.

Most of the videos feature Mr. A, a minor party member and a candidate running in the general election. The videos show scenes of migrant workers being caught or Mr. A shouting at migrant workers trying to escape. In a recently uploaded video, a dispute with the police who arrived after the arrest of an illegal immigrant on an unregistered motorcycle was also captured.

In the video, when the police who responded to the group's report asked, "What judicial authority do you have to stop a passing motorcycle?" the group members countered, "You can arrest someone caught in the act." When the police retorted, "Do passing foreigners have no human rights?" he argued, "Korean law takes precedence; do illegal immigrants have human rights?"

Regarding Mr. A's activities, controversy has arisen, but the individual and his affiliated party stated that the actions were taken based on personal conviction and that the government bears significant responsibility for the controversies surrounding illegal migrant workers.