Coast Guard Arrests Two Chinese Nationals for Violating Immigration Control Act
Caught Attempting to Leave Jeju Island Illegally Under Visa-Free System
Two Chinese nationals who entered Jeju Island under the visa-free (no visa) entry system and attempted to illegally leave for other regions have been apprehended by the Coast Guard.
The Wando Coast Guard announced on May 27 that it had arrested Chinese national A (in their 30s), who entered Korea through the Jeju visa-free entry system, and Chinese national B (in their 40s), an ethnic Korean from China who assisted A for a fee, on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act.
Wando Coast Guard is investigating two Chinese nationals who entered Jeju Island under the visa-free entry system and attempted to illegally leave for other regions. Photo by Wando Coast Guard
According to the Coast Guard, the two were caught on May 26 at around 4:00 p.m. while attempting to travel from Jeju to Wando using passenger vessel A, which had departed from Jeju Port. A hid in a 4.5-ton cargo truck driven by B to board the ship. A crew member, suspicious of their actions, reported them, and the Coast Guard, in cooperation with the shipping company, apprehended the two. The investigation revealed that A had entered Jeju Island using the visa-free system and was attempting to leave for another region in Korea to work without authorization.
Jeju Island operates a visa-free entry system that allows foreign nationals to stay for up to 30 days without a visa to promote tourism. However, foreigners entering under this system are permitted to stay only within Jeju Island. To travel to other regions, they must obtain prior approval to expand their permitted area of stay. Violations may result in imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 20 million won.
A Coast Guard official stated, "We plan to strengthen crackdowns in cooperation with relevant agencies to prevent unauthorized departures and illegal entry by sea," and urged, "If you spot a foreigner suspected of international crimes such as unauthorized departure from Jeju under the visa-free system, please report it immediately to 112."
The Coast Guard plans to expand its investigation into the circumstances of the attempted illegal entry and to determine whether there are any accomplices or an organized network behind the incident.
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