Vietnamese nationals caught illegally trying to reach mainland from Jeju
Published: 16 Jan. 2025, 12:53
![Geoumun Oreum is one of 360 volcanic cones scattered over Jeju. [VISIT JEJU]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/16/577905ca-aa08-46ec-aa49-ccc0f21206b7.jpg)
Geoumun Oreum is one of 360 volcanic cones scattered over Jeju. [VISIT JEJU]
Foreign nationals who entered Jeju Island through the visa waiver program and attempted to leave for other regions in Korea without authorization have been apprehended by police.
The Jeju Coast Guard said Friday that it had nabbed 11 Vietnamese nationals and one Korean smuggler on charges of violating the Special Act on the Establishment of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Development of Free International City.
The Vietnamese nationals, consisting of seven men and four women, were apprehended on Wednesday evening hiding in a 5-ton cargo truck at the sixth pier of Jeju Port while attempting to board a vessel bound for Wando in South Jeolla.
They are suspected of entering Jeju using the visa waiver program with the intention of working in other regions of Korea. The Jeju Coast Guard is investigating their exact route of entry into Jeju and related details.
Jeju operates a visa waiver program that allows foreign nationals to stay on the island for up to 30 days without a visa, aiming to boost the tourism industry. However, individuals entering under this system are restricted to Jeju Island and are not permitted to travel to other regions of Korea.
BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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