Two Chinese nationals arrested by immigration authorities after disappearing from tour group

Korean immigration authorities arrested two Chinese nationals who entered the country without visas through Incheon Port and later disappeared, the Incheon Airport immigration office said Tuesday.

A view of Incheon Port [INCHEON PORT AUTHORITY]

Korean immigration authorities arrested two Chinese nationals who entered the country without visas through Incheon Port and later disappeared, the Incheon Airport immigration office said Tuesday.

The two arrived on Jan. 1 by ferry from Qingdao, China, and entered Korea under a visa-free program for Chinese group tourists that took effect in September 2025. They were scheduled to leave on Jan. 3 but left their tour group without authorization.

During questioning, they said they came to Korea to “earn money rather than for tourism,” officials said.

Immigration officers began tracking the pair after a travel agency reported losing contact with them. One was arrested in Guro District, western Seoul, on Thursday. The other was detained the following day at Incheon International Airport.

The Incheon Airport immigration office said it plans to deport the two after completing its investigation into the case.

“We are looking into whether brokers played a role,” said Park Jae-wan, the head of the Incheon Airport immigration office. “We will respond firmly to prevent the visa-free group tour system for Chinese nationals from being abused as a channel for illegal stays.”

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 HYEON YE-SEUL [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]