Korean Wealthy Family Caught in the US for Traveling to Hawaii with Fake Vaccination Cards

Vaccination card.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] A Korean-American businessman in Los Angeles (LA), California, USA, was arrested by local authorities for forging a vaccination card.

On the 15th (local time), LA local broadcaster ABC7 reported that the Hawaii State Prosecutor's Office arrested Mr. A, in his 50s, and his son Mr. B on charges of forging vaccination cards and violating COVID-19 quarantine guidelines. The prosecutors apprehended them at Honolulu Airport on the 8th and indicted them, stating that they traveled to Hawaii carrying fake vaccination cards.

Currently, Hawaii operates a quarantine program that exempts tourists who present vaccination cards from a mandatory 10-day quarantine. Since the state government implemented this guideline, this is the first case of a traveler being arrested for forging vaccination cards.

Governor David Ige referred to the father and son, saying, "We will proceed with prosecution to the fullest extent of the law," emphasizing, "It is important to enforce such regulations to curb the spread of COVID-19." The prosecutors also added that if the father and son are found guilty, they could face a fine of up to $5,000 (approximately 5.8 million KRW) or imprisonment for up to one year.

Meanwhile, the defense stated that after the father and son were arrested by the Hawaii prosecutors, they returned to California to undergo COVID-19 testing and received negative results. They are currently being transferred back to Hawaii and are in custody.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.