Fake papers used to fool int’l schools

The Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office on Wednesday arrested two brokers for providing fake documents to 30 families trying to send their kids to international schools, including fake passports and naturalization papers from South American and African nations.

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The brokers allegedly received up to 100 million won from each family.

Prosecutors also raided three international schools over suspicions that the schools may have been in on the rackets all along.

In Korea, international schools can only admit foreigners residing in Korea or Koreans who have lived overseas for more than three years.

Prosecutors arrested a 44-year-old head of an overseas study consulting firm and a 40-year-old head of an immigration agency on charges of forging documents since June 2010. Prosecutors also requested an arrest warrant for a 39-year-old head of another immigration agency on the same charge.

According to the prosecutors, the brokers received from 50 million to 100 million won from each family for supplying them with fake passports and citizenship papers from South American and African countries such as Brazil and Sierra Leone.

On the guidance of the brokers, some students visited the foreign country for two or three days.

But some students received admission to international schools without ever having visited the countries they allegedly had citizenship in.

Based on the investigation, the families are largely from the wealthy southern Seoul areas and the husbands have high powered jobs such as heading an investment firm, owner of a golf course and head of a hospital.

Aside from the 30 families who bought the fake documents, prosecutors are investigating 100 more families.

Prosecutors also raided three international schools in Seoul and seized false documents used to gain admission.

By Jung Ki-hwan, Lee Eun-joo [angie@joongang.co.kr]