KB News Desk
At least 31 Chinese nationals have been caught trying to enter South Korea illegally by boat through Taean, South Chungcheong Province, since 2019, with most having previously stayed in the country, the Korea Coast Guard said Monday.
Of the 31 caught, 25 had previously lived in Korea. Most had been deported over immigration violations and later attempted to return by sea after being unable to reenter through regular immigration procedures, according to the Coast Guard.
The Taean Peninsula offers one of the shortest sea routes between Korea and China, with its western coast just over 300 kilometers from Shandong Province.
The figures were presented at a Taean Coast Guard meeting Friday, where officials called for stronger measures to detect and prevent illegal sea crossings in the region.
The 31 Chinese nationals were caught in seven separate cases since September 2019.
The most recent involved Chinese dissident Dong Guangping, 68, who was intercepted near Taean’s Gyeokryeolbi Islands on May 25 after traveling by boat from China. The islands lie about 270 kilometers from Shandong Province.
In another case last year, eight people crossed the Yellow Sea together in a 4.3-meter-long boat before arriving in the Taean area. They were convicted of illegally entering Korea and received suspended prison sentences from the Daejeon District Court in April.
Five of the seven cases occurred in May or October, when sea conditions tend to be relatively calm. One case occurred in April and another in September.
Under Korean law, illegal entry can carry a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won ($21,200), regardless of whether the attempt succeeds.
The Coast Guard said it plans to strengthen coordination with other agencies to detect and prevent illegal sea crossings.
Authorities also offer rewards of up to 10 million won for tips that lead to the detection of people attempting to enter the country illegally by sea.
