Prison Sentences for Two Chinese Nationals Who Entered Jeju Without a Visa and Stole Wallets

Jeju District Court Sentences Pair to Eight Months and One Year in Prison

Crimes Committed Across Jeju, Including at Traditional Markets

Two Chinese nationals in their 50s who entered Jeju Island without a visa and committed pickpocketing were sentenced to prison terms.

According to Yonhap News Agency on July 31, Jeju District Court Criminal Division 4 (presiding judge Jeon Seongjun) recently sentenced Chinese national A, in his 50s, to eight months in prison and Chinese national B, in his 50s, to one year in prison, after they were indicted and detained on charges of special theft and attempted special theft.

Jeju District Court Exterior

These two individuals entered Jeju at the end of March without a visa. On the morning of April 12, they were accused of stealing a wallet and approximately 1 million won in cash and valuables from a bag attached to a stroller being pushed by a victim at a traditional market in Jeju.

Earlier, at around 9 p.m. on April 7, they were also charged with attempting to steal a wallet worth about 1.8 million won from a bag carried on another victim's arm but were caught in the act and failed to complete the theft.

An investigation found that they committed the crimes together by having one person distract the victim and bystanders while the other stole valuables. In addition, B was also charged with stealing a mobile phone, resident registration card, credit card, and cash from a victim's pocket as the person was waiting at a crosswalk in Jeju City on April 6. Four days later, on April 10, B also pickpocketed a wallet, mobile phone, and other valuables at a traditional market in Jeju City.

The court stated, "The defendants committed multiple theft offenses only a few days after entering the country, and not all of the damage has been recovered." Regarding their sentencing, the court added, "However, we took into account that they admitted to and reflected on their crimes, and in A's case, reached an agreement with one of the victims."

Meanwhile, crimes committed by Chinese nationals on Jeju Island have increased in line with the implementation of the visa waiver program. Under this program, nationals of certain countries can enter Jeju Island without a visa and stay for tourism for up to 30 days. In principle, entry must be through Jeju, and travelers are not allowed to travel to other regions without permission.

According to the police, from 2019 to 2024, a total of 3,525 foreign nationals (provisional data) were apprehended in Jeju. Of these, 2,353 people, accounting for 66.7 percent, were identified as Chinese nationals.

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