`2,000 Deportees Illegally Return to Korea Every Year`

Around 2,000 cases that foreigners deported from Korea due to crimes or illegal activities are known to return every year through identity theft or fraud, threatening national security.

A joint investigation team against organized crime by foreigners yesterday said 1,037 foreigners who had been deported from Korea returned between October last year and last month by using stolen passports or changing their names.

The team comprises prosecutors, police officers and staff of the Korea Customs Service and Korea Immigration Service.

Over its intensive investigation period, the team used pictures of deported foreigners and a facial recognition system to find out which foreigners illegally reentered Korea with forged passports.

dawn@donga.com