Eight Chinese illegally arrive in Taean for work

It has been confirmed that a total of eight Chinese, not six as initially identified, illegally entered South Korea on a leisure motor boat through the coast of Taean, South Chungcheong Province. A Chinese suspect caught in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province testified that a total of eight people arrived in Taean together to find work, the Taean Coast Guard said on Thursday. An illegal Chinese immigrant who helped them has been also arrested.

“There was a total of 10 people who stepped out of a van in the CCTV footage from Mokpo,” said a member of the coast guard. “The suspect’s statement seems reliable.”

The coast guard initially estimated that there were six illegal entrants as a 6-person motor boat was used and CCTV footages featured six people walking together from Uihang beach in Taean. They now believe that the other two illegal entrants were in the blind spot of the CCTVs.

The group of Chinese left Weihai, Shandong Province, China at 8 p.m. on May 20 and arrived in Taean on the morning of May 21 before getting in a van waiting nearby and heading to Mokpo via the Seohaean Expressway. Based on the suspect’s testimony, there were two more people, including a driver, other than the illegal entrants in the van. The illegal entrants were all Chinese and went to Mokpo to meet up with their friend.

The coast guard arrested a Chinese man who helped the suspects’ illegal entrance in the process of finding jobs, etc. and transferred him to the immigration authorities while continuing investigation to arrest the remaining illegal entrants.


Myung-Hun Jee mhjee@donga.com