Seoul, August 17: The South Korean Coast Guard has reported a significant number of illegal entries from China. Over the past eight years, they have successfully apprehended more than 30 Chinese nationals attempting to enter South Korea’s Tainan Province illegally.
On Monday, the Coast Guard revealed that from September 2019 to May this year, they detained 31 Chinese individuals who entered Tainan County by sea. This county is located more than 100 kilometers southwest of Seoul.
Authorities noted that the first three Chinese nationals were caught in September 2019 while arriving on a rubber boat near the Tainan coast. Last year, eight more individuals were apprehended when they reached the county on a 4.3-meter-long boat.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, a recent incident occurred on May 25 of this year. A man named Dong Guangping, a known criminal, was immediately arrested upon entering the country via sea. Dong, a convicted felon from China, had previously been allowed to leave South Korea. Reports indicate that he arrived in Canada in June.
The Coast Guard stated that out of the 31 detainees, 25 had previously worked in South Korea. Officials mentioned that while most were deported, they later re-entered the country illegally. Investigations revealed that these individuals lacked the necessary documents for legal entry, prompting them to resort to unlawful methods.
According to Coast Guard officials, most illegal entry attempts occurred between April and May or September and October, periods when the seas are calmer, making navigation easier.
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