Jet Ski Illegal Immigrant from China Claims to Be 'Human Rights Activist'... Plans to Apply for Refugee Status

Coast Guard: "No Declaration of Refugee or Asylum Intent During Investigation"

Recently, the Chinese individual who illegally entered the country by riding a jet ski (personal watercraft) in China has been identified as human rights activist Quan Ping (35). He is known for being detained after posting a photo on social networking services (SNS) in 2016 wearing a T-shirt with a slogan satirizing President Xi Jinping.

The Incheon Coast Guard announced on the 22nd that they have sent Quan Ping, who was arrested on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act, to the prosecution. He is suspected of attempting to illegally enter Incheon waters on the afternoon of the 16th by riding a jet ski from China.

According to the investigation, Quan Ping departed around 7 a.m. that day from the Shandong Province area in China on a 1,800cc jet ski, navigating with a compass and binoculars, and arrived at the waters off Incheon about 300 km away after 14 hours. He filled his jet ski with 70 liters of fuel and tied five 25-liter fuel containers with ropes, continuously refueling as he traveled alone.

Chinese human rights activist Quan Ping arriving by jet ski while illegally entering the country
[Photo by Incheon Coast Guard]

The fact that the illegal entrant was Quan Ping was revealed by international solidarity activist Lee Dae-seon. Lee stated, "The Chinese person who illegally entered Korea by riding a jet ski is local human rights activist Quan Ping," and added, "This morning, I visited him at the Incheon Coast Guard detention center along with his mother who lives in Korea." He further said, "Quan Ping consistently requested refugee status from the time he was detained and interrogated by the coast guard until he was sent to the prosecution."

However, the coast guard said, "During the investigation, the illegal entrant (Quan Ping) never expressed any intention to apply for refugee status or asylum."

Regarding this, Lee posted on social networking services (SNS) that "Two days before Quan Ping illegally entered Korea by jet ski, on the 14th, I received a message from him saying he was going to Korea." He also said, "It was wrong for Quan Ping to enter Korea in violation of the Immigration Control Act," but added that he would assist with the refugee application process going forward.

Meanwhile, according to Lee, Quan Ping had long been dissatisfied with the Chinese government's political censorship system and engaged in human rights activism within China, publicly supporting and advocating for the rights of detained human rights lawyers.

He was arrested by the Chinese secret police in 2016 on charges of "inciting the overthrow of state power" and was held in solitary confinement for four months. After being sentenced to one year and six months in prison, he was released in March 2019 upon completion of his sentence, but it is known that Chinese authorities continued to monitor him and imposed a travel ban.

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