"To Receive Back Wages"... Chinese Man and Woman Attempt Illegal Entry After 20 Hours on Rubber Boat

Drifting After Sailing 234 km for 20 Hours Due to Sea Fog

Two Chinese nationals, a man and a woman, who attempted to illegally enter South Korea by sailing 234 km over 20 hours on a rubber boat, were caught by the Coast Guard. It was investigated that they tried to smuggle themselves into the country to receive unpaid wages and housing deposits that they were unable to collect after being deported for illegal stay in Korea.

Coast Guard inspecting the rubber boat used in the attempted illegal entry. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News Agency, on the 12th, the Incheon Coast Guard announced that they had urgently arrested Mr. A, a man in his 30s, and Ms. B, a woman in her 50s, both Chinese nationals, on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act, and handed them over to the Incheon Immigration Office.

Mr. A and others were found on a fishing boat operating at a point 41 km southeast of Socheongdo, Ongjin-gun, Incheon, at 2:14 p.m. on the 8th. The Coast Guard deployed patrol vessels and apprehended them after receiving a report from the fishing boat captain about a "suspicious vessel."

Investigations revealed that they had departed from Longcheng City, Shandong Province, China, on the afternoon of the 7th, the day before their capture, on a rubber boat and attempted to illegally enter through the West Sea. It was confirmed that they had previously stayed in Korea but were identified as illegal residents by investigative authorities and were forcibly deported between November and December last year. Since they were unable to receive unpaid wages and housing deposits due to this, they reportedly attempted illegal entry to claim these payments.

During the Coast Guard investigation, Mr. A and others stated, "We intended to go to the Seosan area in Chungnam, where we had previously worked, but lost our way due to worsening weather."

They purchased a rubber boat equipped with a 30-horsepower engine in China and set out with safety equipment such as life jackets. They navigated relying on a compass without equipment like marine GPS navigation. However, as the sea weather worsened and fog caused them to lose their sense of direction, they drifted. The distance they traveled over 20 hours was approximately 234 km.

A Coast Guard official said, "We are conducting an investigation into the two individuals, Mr. A and others," and added, "We plan to reward the fishing boat captain who reported the suspicious vessel."

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