South Korea to launch crackdown against illegal immigrants next week

ANKARA

South Korea on Thursday said it will launch a crackdown against illegal immigrants next week, which will last until Dec. 9, Yonhap news agency reported.

The action will mainly focus on foreigners who work in entertainment services or those with criminal records, as well as companies that employ undocumented foreigners and their agents.

"The basic policy of our government is to flexibly expand legal stays and strictly regulate illegal overstays," said Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon.

Illegal immigrants caught in the crackdown will be ordered to pay fines before being deported and banned from reentry.

Those who volunteer to leave South Korea, however, will be exempt from fines and will be allowed to return.

In 2022, the number of illegal immigrants in the Southeast Asian country were 411,270, compared with 355,126 in 2018.