Chinese national arrested by police after pickpocketing multiple people in Jeju
Published: 31 Dec. 2025, 12:25
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Police logo [YONHAP]
A Chinese man who entered Jeju Island without a visa has been arrested for pickpocketing tourists and locals at markets.
The suspect, a Chinese national, was taken into custody on charges of theft and violating the Specialized Credit Finance Business Act, according to the Jeju Dongbu Police Precinct on Tuesday.
The suspect arrived in Jeju on Dec. 22 and began stealing wallets and smartphones the following day, the police said.
A closed-circuit TV camera in a major retail store caught him walking closely behind a female customer and stealing her wallet in under 10 seconds at around 6:11 p.m. last Thursday, according to local broadcaster JIBS.
Roughly 20 minutes after the theft, the woman’s credit card was used for purchases totaling around 3.1 million won ($3,600). Police found that the unauthorized transactions were processed via an overseas broker based in Vietnam. The man also attempted to make additional charges in the 10 million won range.
Investigators found that the suspect had conspired in advance with the broker — whom he met through social media — to share the criminal proceeds.
The suspect was apprehended last Friday at Jeju City's Dongmun Traditional Market by police responding to a report from a tourist. He was caught in the act. So far, nine victims have been identified. Most are believed to be women, older adults or tourists.
Though he initially denied the accusations, the suspect later confessed, reportedly telling investigators he “planned to sell the stolen items in China to get money.”
The police plan to refer the suspect with detention to the prosecution in the coming days.
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 JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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