Police Arrest Gang for Forging and Using Foreign Registration Cards and Certificates

A group that forged foreign registration cards and construction-related certificates and sold them to foreigners seeking employment in Korea has been apprehended by the police.

Foreign registration cards forged by them. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

On December 23, the International Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had arrested a total of 75 individuals on charges including forgery of official and private documents, and detained two out of three key domestic recruiters and financiers. Sixteen foreigners used the forged foreign registration cards to find employment at construction sites in Seoul and North Chungcheong Province, while 21 foreigners used forged national technical qualification certificates at construction sites. Additionally, 38 foreigners gained employment at construction sites in Seoul, Incheon, and North Chungcheong Province using forged certificates of completion.

The suspects are accused of advertising on social networking services (SNS) that legal stay and employment in Korea were possible, forging and selling foreign registration cards and construction-related certificates, or commissioning such documents to be used at domestic construction sites. These forged documents are important papers used to prove a foreigner’s legal residency status and for employment purposes.

The investigation revealed that the forged identification cards and certificates were produced in Vietnam and China, then smuggled into Korea via international courier services, concealed in items such as mobile phone cases during delivery.

The group conducted habitual and organized crimes targeting an unspecified number of people, mainly through foreigner communities, using phrases such as "employment possible" and "certificate issuance." They charged between 70,000 and 150,000 won per forged document.

The police are currently tracking the main overseas leaders of the operation, who are Vietnamese and Chinese nationals. As the distribution of these forged documents can lead to industrial accidents and substandard construction, the police plan to strengthen crackdowns in cooperation with relevant agencies.

A police official stated, "We will strengthen collaboration with related agencies to eradicate crimes involving forged foreign registration cards and similar documents, and expand continuous monitoring and intensive crackdowns on such crimes."