49 Vietnamese nationals among 642 foreigners caught without work permits in S Korea

[ASEAN NOW News]

 Seoul police on duty during the national exam of South Korea in November 2021. Photo by AFP

 

South Korea’s Ministry of Justice said Friday that 642 undocumented foreign workers, including 49 Vietnamese nationals, have been caught in the last two months.

 

VN Express reported that the others comprised 537 Thai, 33 Chinese, 12 Russian, and 11 Filipino citizens, according to The Korea Times.

 

The Ministry has ordered the deportation of 588 people, of which 16 have departed voluntarily.

 

Five people face prosecution, as do 11 brokers caught in the crackdown. The brokers helped the illegal workers enter South Korea unlawfully and find jobs there.

 

The crackdown also netted 234 illegal employers, with 210 receiving a notification disposition and 13 facing legal proceedings.

 

The two-month-long investigation particularly targeted massage parlors, bars with hostesses and other adult entertainment facilities.

 

The suspects stayed and worked illegally in South Korea, taking advantage of some visa waiver programs, the ministry said.

 

The ministry also said it plans to continue investigating and cracking down on brokers and undocumented foreign workers in delivery and illegal taxi services, along with those who have quit seasonal work programs in September and October.

 

[worldexpress]

 

Quote

Outbound tour operators reported a spike in illegal job seekers who seek to use tour packages to South Korea as a guise before escaping from the group as soon as they arrive.
 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2364261/rise-in-number-of-thais-seeking-work-in-south-korea.