Authorities capture 5 of 6 Chinese nationals who landed illegally on Jeju by boat last week
Published: 12 Sep. 2025, 09:19
![The Jeju Coast Guard started a search after a rubber boat was found by the shore near a haenyeo (women divers) changing station in Yongsu-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju on Sept. 8, as pictured in this photo provided by a reader. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/12/8eaee649-0a5d-4c6f-88d3-4d6b39f70a81.jpg)
The Jeju Coast Guard started a search after a rubber boat was found by the shore near a haenyeo (women divers) changing station in Yongsu-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju on Sept. 8, as pictured in this photo provided by a reader. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Authorities captured five of six Chinese nationals who illegally entered Jeju Island by rubber boat last week, the Jeju Coast Guard said Thursday.
Officers arrested a woman in her 40s at the parking lot of a park in Yongdam-dong, Jeju, around 5:50 p.m. Thursday. Earlier the same day, police arrested a man in his 50s on a street in Wimi-ri, Namwon-eup, Seogwipo, at 12:03 p.m.
Another member of the group turned themself in at the Seogwipo Police Station on Wednesday. Police later arrested one more person in their 30s at a house in Yeon-dong, Jeju, and another in their 40s at a guesthouse in Seogwipo on Tuesday.
Authorities said the group departed from Nantong, China, on Sunday, and traveled about 460 kilometers (286 miles) by rubber boat before arriving on the coast of Yongsu-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju, early the next morning.
Investigators believe the six did not know each other before the trip. They allegedly paid several million won to Chinese brokers to arrange the illegal entry in hopes of finding work.
A resident reported a suspicious rubber boat near a divers’ changing room on Yongsu-ri beach at 7:56 a.m. on Monday, according to the Coast Guard.
Officers found a 90-horsepower engine attached to the boat, fuel containers, life jackets for six people, fishing rods and emergency rations, including bread with Chinese labels not sold in Korea.
Authorities have detained three of the five captured migrants and are continuing to track down the remaining suspect.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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