Chinese Attempting Illegal Entry After 14-Hour Jet Ski Ride Receives Suspended Sentence on Appeal

"At the time of illegal entry, only 'simple adventurousness' was mentioned...
No mention of political persecution or fear whatsoever"
Refugee application filed during first trial, currently under review

A man in his 30s from China who attempted to illegally enter South Korea by riding a jet ski in the waters off Incheon was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the appellate court, following the same ruling as the first trial.

Jet ski used by 30-year-old Chinese illegal immigrant Mr. Quan Ping last August. [Image source=Incheon Maritime Police Agency]

On the 31st, the 2-1 Criminal Appeals Division of the Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Cha Seung-hwan) sentenced Mr. Quan Ping (35), who was indicted for violating the Immigration Control Act, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension, the same as the first trial.

The appellate court stated, "The defendant claimed that the attempt to enter illegally was a justifiable act or an emergency escape, but he reported the incident only after the jet ski was at risk of capsizing," adding, "When the maritime police asked the defendant about his purpose of entry, he said it was 'simply a sense of adventure.'" The court further explained, "At that time, the defendant did not mention any persecution or fear related to political views," and ruled, "It is difficult to accept the defendant’s claims." It also added, "Even if recognized in the refugee screening process in the future, such circumstances do not justify the defendant’s illegal entry attempt," and noted, "The sentencing in the first trial was neither too harsh nor too lenient."

On August 16 of last year, Mr. Quan Ping was accused of attempting illegal entry by riding a jet ski in the waters off Incheon. It was confirmed that he departed around 7 a.m. that day from Shandong Province in China, over 300 km away from Incheon, riding an 1800cc jet ski. He was found to have traveled alone without any accomplices, carrying five 25-liter fuel containers. Wearing a life jacket and using a compass and binoculars, he took about 14 hours to reach the waters off Incheon. However, when the jet ski got stuck in the mudflats, he requested rescue from the fire department himself at around 9:33 p.m. He also added that he had frequently traveled to and stayed in South Korea between 2010 and 2016.

Later, an international solidarity activist claimed on their social media that Mr. Quan Ping was a human rights activist who had even been banned from leaving the country. This was based on a selfie he posted on Twitter (now X) on September 1, 2016, wearing a T-shirt with a slogan satirizing Chinese President Xi Jinping, for which he was sentenced to one year and six months in prison for "inciting the overthrow of state power," and was released on March 15, 2019, after serving his full term.

In the first trial, Mr. Quan Ping appealed, saying, "I did not secretly enter South Korea to destroy buildings or violate laws," and "After being sentenced in China, I lived without freedom and could not leave normally." During the first trial, he submitted documents to the South Korean government requesting recognition as a refugee. The refugee screening process is currently underway.

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