'Jetski Illegal Entry' Chinese Man's Background... "Arrested by Secret Police for Criticizing Xi Jinping"

"Mr. Quan Ping, who advocated for human rights locally," claims
"Banned from leaving the country... intends to apply for refugee status"

A Chinese national who recently attempted to illegally enter the Incheon sea by riding a personal watercraft (jet ski) is human rights activist Quan Ping (35), and it has been claimed that he was previously detained after posting criticism of President Xi Jinping.

On the 22nd, international solidarity activist Lee Dae-sun told 'Yonhap News' in an interview that "the Chinese person who illegally entered Korea by riding a jet ski is local human rights activist Quan Ping."

Quan Ping's mother resides in Korea, and on the morning of the same day, she visited her son at the Incheon Coast Guard detention center. Quan Ping's father, who arrived late from China, was also present at the meeting.

Jet ski used by a Chinese migrant in their 30s [Image source=Incheon Coast Guard]

According to Lee, Quan Ping had long been dissatisfied with the Chinese government's political censorship. He actively engaged in human rights activism within China, publicly supporting the rights of human rights lawyers detained by Chinese authorities.

Quan Ping became a target of censorship authorities in 2016. At that time, he took a photo wearing a T-shirt with a slogan satirizing President Xi Jinping and posted it on Twitter. About a month later, he was arrested by secret police on charges of "inciting the overthrow of state power" and was held in solitary confinement for four months.

Regarding this, Lee explained, "Eventually, on February 15, 2017, Quan Ping was sentenced to one year and six months in prison by the Yanbian Court in Jilin Province and was released after serving his term in March 2019." He added, "Even after returning to daily life, Chinese authorities continued to monitor him and imposed a travel ban."

Lee also said that two days before Quan Ping attempted to enter Korea by jet ski, on the 14th, he received a message from him stating that he was "going to Korea."

Lee acknowledged that Quan Ping violated Korea's Immigration Control Act, which was wrong, but expressed willingness to assist with the refugee application process. He also added that if Quan Ping's refugee application is not accepted in Korea, he intends to apply again in a third English-speaking country.

Quan Ping is suspected of attempting to illegally enter the waters off Incheon by riding a jet ski from China on the afternoon of the 16th. Around 7 a.m. that day, he departed from the Shandong Province area in China on an 1800cc jet ski, traveling 300 km over 14 hours to reach Incheon.

He navigated by compass and telescope himself, crossing the sea while continuously refueling by tying five 25-liter (ℓ) fuel cans with ropes. The Incheon Coast Guard arrested Quan Ping on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act and transferred him to the prosecution on the morning of the 22nd.

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