A Thai national who had been deported for overstaying the authorized period of stay and permanently barred from entering South Korea returned to the country after changing names and obtaining a new passport. Posing as a cruise ship tourist, the Thai national arrived at Busan Port, failed to return to the vessel and traveled to Seoul before being caught. He has now received a suspended prison sentence.
Judge Jang Ki-seok of the Busan District Court on the 16th sentenced the Thai national, identified only as A and in their 40s, to one year in prison, suspended for three years, on charges of violating the Immigration Act, according to legal sources on the 17th.
A arrived at Busan Port on July 29 aboard a cruise ship that had departed from Shanghai, China. A disembarked after receiving a tourist landing permit granted to cruise passengers but did not return to the ship by its 7 p.m. departure time that day. An investigation found that A left Busan for Seoul and stayed at an officetel — a studio unit used as either a home or an office — in Dongdaemun District until July 31.
A had already been blocked from entering the country. In April this year, A was deported after remaining in South Korea beyond the authorized period of stay and was issued a permanent entry ban.
A then changed names, obtained a new passport and re-entered South Korea as a cruise ship tourist, authorities confirmed. The re-entry came just over three months after the permanent entry ban was imposed.
Under the current Immigration Act, foreign passengers on international cruise ships that meet certain requirements may be granted tourist landing permits of up to three days, upon application by the vessel operator. The system is designed to let cruise passengers briefly tour port cities, but A used the permit to disembark, skipped the departure time and traveled to Seoul, breaching the terms of the permit.
A similar case occurred at Busan Port in January this year. Two Chinese nationals who arrived at the port aboard a cruise ship from China disembarked with tourist landing permits, never returned to the vessel and disappeared before being apprehended by the Busan Immigration Office.