140,000 Illegal Thai Immigrants... 76.3% of Total
"Caution Needed to Prevent Good Faith Victims During Entry Process"
Last year, the number of Thai nationals illegally residing in South Korea exceeded 140,000, making them the largest group among illegal foreign residents.
According to data received by Rep. Song Seok-jun of the People Power Party from the Ministry of Justice on the 27th, as of the end of last year, there were 423,675 illegal foreign residents in South Korea. This accounts for 16.9% of the total foreign residents in the country (2,507,584). Among illegal foreign residents, those who entered under the 'visa waiver' program numbered 169,000 (40.0%), the largest group. This was followed by short-term visit visa holders (87,000; 20.5%), non-professional employment (56,000; 13.3%), general training (26,000; 6.2%), transit tourism (21,000; 4.9%), and students (10,000; 2.3%).
Among foreigners who entered visa-free and are currently staying illegally, Thai nationals numbered 145,000 (76.3% of the total), the highest. Next were China (15,000; 7.8%), Kazakhstan (11,000; 5.7%), Russia (7,000; 3.8%), Malaysia (2,000; 1.0%), the United States (2,000; 0.8%), Bangladesh (1,000; 0.8%), and Pakistan (1,000; 0.6%).
The government has temporarily suspended visa waiver agreements with Pakistan and Bangladesh since 2001 and 2008 respectively, citing a surge in illegal residents. Liberia's visa waiver agreement has also been temporarily suspended since 2019 due to occurrences of antisocial criminal activities.
The number of illegal foreign residents in South Korea (424,000) increased by 12,000 (3.0%) compared to the previous year, but the total number of foreign residents in the country grew more significantly (262,000; 11.7%), resulting in a 1.4 percentage point decrease in the proportion of illegal foreign residents.
Rep. Song stated, "As the number of illegal residents rapidly increases, causing social conflicts, efficient measures are necessary. However, careful attention must be paid during the immigration screening process to prevent innocent victims from suffering."
Despite Decrease in Thai Visitors, Illegal Residents Remain the Largest Group
In Thailand, which ranks first in illegal foreign residents in South Korea, a boycott movement against traveling to Korea is spreading. Recently, on social networking services (SNS), the hashtag 'Ban Korea' is trending, and the number of Thai visitors to Korea from January to April this year was 119,000, a 21% decrease compared to the same period last year.
The cause is attributed to the 'K-ETA' system. Introduced in September 2021, K-ETA requires nationals of visa-free countries to input their information on a website before departure and obtain entry approval to Korea. Since there are many illegal Thai residents, strict Korean immigration screening has led to entry refusals without valid reasons, and Thai people have shared reviews about not receiving refunds for flight and hotel payments properly, which has fueled anti-Korean sentiment.
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