Tourists visit Jeju Island in South Korea, 2020. Photo by Reuters
South Korean authorities detained 11 Vietnamese nationals on Wednesday after they were discovered hiding in a cargo truck at Jeju Port in an attempt to depart the island illegally.
The group, consisting of seven men and four women, was apprehended as they attempted to board a vessel bound for Wando in South Jeolla Province, according to the Jeju Coast Guard.
The detainees face charges under the Special Act on the Establishment of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Development of Free International City, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
Authorities suspect the group initially entered Jeju under the island’s visa waiver program, which permits a 30-day visa-free stay for tourists. However, they might have intended to work in other parts of South Korea, an action prohibited under the terms of the program, the Chosun Biz reported.
The visa waiver initiative aims to boost tourism by allowing visitors to explore Jeju without the need for a visa, but it restricts travelers from leaving the island to move to other regions within the country.
Last December, the Jeju Tourism Authority said 38 out of the 90 Vietnamese tourists who arrived from Nha Trang in central Vietnam on Nov. 14 disappeared just before their scheduled departure on Nov. 17.
They had arrived under the visa waiver program. Following their disappearance, Vietnamese travel agencies are concerned that South Korea may tighten visa approval procedures.
Jeju authorities have not confirmed if the 11 Vietnamese arrested on Wednesday were from the group of 38.
