New measures to stop undocumented foreigners from being deported before facing charges
Published: 15 Oct. 2025, 13:47
Updated: 15 Oct. 2025, 17:21
![Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho is seen during an inspection of the Yangju Immigration Office in Yangju, Gyeonggi on Sept. 19. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/15/59805a54-ee08-4ced-902a-5dfc8392d332.jpg)
Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho is seen during an inspection of the Yangju Immigration Office in Yangju, Gyeonggi on Sept. 19. [YONHAP]
The Ministry of Justice announced on Wednesday that it will revise current procedures to prevent undocumented foreigners who commit crimes in Korea from being deported before facing criminal charges.
Under the new measures, immigration authorities will immediately notify investigative agencies — including the police — when deportation orders or other administrative actions are finalized against undocumented individuals.
Previously, authorities issued a “custody transfer form” stating that undocumented individuals would be deported as soon as they were ready for repatriation. However, there was no follow-up system in place to share information between immigration and investigative agencies during the repatriation process.
As a result, some undocumented individuals who were under investigation were sent back to their home countries without facing legal consequences in Korea.
“We will ensure undocumented foreigners are held accountable for their crimes, and we will do our utmost to support victims and uphold the fairness of the criminal justice system,” the ministry said.
Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho also pledged to strengthen oversight.
“We will continue improving the system and enforcing measures to ensure that undocumented foreigners involved in crimes are brought to justice through close cooperation with relevant agencies,” Jung said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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