Three Arrested After Jumping Into Sea During Life Vest Crackdown Turn Out to Be Illegal Residents

The Boryeong Coast Guard in South Chungcheong Province announced today (August 18) that it has apprehended three Vietnamese nationals who were staying in the country illegally on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act and handed them over to the immigration office.

According to the Coast Guard, at 11:30 a.m. yesterday, officers spotted a foreign crew member aboard a 69-ton coastal squid-jigging vessel moving within Daecheon Port in Boryeong who was not wearing a life jacket. When asked to present identification, a man in his 30s, identified as A, refused and attempted to escape by jumping into the sea before being caught.

Through an additional search inside the vessel, the Coast Guard apprehended two other undocumented immigrants in their 20s and 30s who were hiding on the stern deck and in a cabin storage room.

Investigations revealed that all of them had continued to stay and work in South Korea even though their visas had expired prior to 2024.

It was confirmed that person A, who jumped into the sea, had been staying illegally for seven years after his visa expired in 2019.

"We are strengthening inspections and searches on ports, harbors, and vessels to guard against illegal maritime entry and unauthorized boarding by undocumented foreigners," said Jang Yoon-seok, Chief of the Boryeong Coast Guard. "We will continue to do our utmost to establish maritime security order and ensure public safety."
(Photo provided by Boryeong Coast Guard, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.