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

At 11:30 a.m. the previous day, the Coast Guard spotted a foreign crew member aboard a 69-ton near-shore squid-jigging fishing boat moving within Daecheon Port in Boryeong who was not wearing a life jacket, and requested identification. One of the individuals, 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 of the vessel, the Coast Guard apprehended two other undocumented immigrants in their 20s and 30s who were hiding on the stern deck and in the bedroom storage.

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 in the country for seven years after his visa expired in 2019.

Jang Yoon-seok, head of the Boryeong Coast Guard, stated, "We are strengthening inspections and searches on ports and vessels in preparation for maritime smuggling and illegal boarding by undocumented foreigners," adding, "We will continue to do our best to establish maritime security order and ensure public safety."
(Photo provided by Boryeong Coast Guard, Yonhap News)