A rubber boat found on the coast of Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju, on September 8 has been confirmed to have been used for illegal entry by Chinese nationals. Police have arrested one Chinese man who entered Korea on the boat and are pursuing five others who accompanied him.

Jeju Western Police Station said on September 9 that it arrested a Chinese man in his 40s, identified as Mr. A, at a motel in Seogwipo at around 6:30 p.m. on the 8th on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act. During their investigation, police learned from a taxi driver who said he had transported a Chinese passenger to Seogwipo, which led them to track down and arrest Mr. A.

In questioning, Mr. A testified that he had departed from Nantong, Jiangsu Province in southeastern China on the afternoon of the 7th aboard the rubber boat and arrived in Jeju early on the 8th. The straight-line distance between the two locations is about 460 kilometers.

The boat carried six people in total, including Mr. A. He said that “all of them were men and entered illegally, but they were complete strangers to one another” and added that he did not know where the others had gone after arrival.

Mr. A also said there was a Chinese broker who promised to arrange illegal entry into Korea by boat in exchange for several million won. He explained that he had attempted to enter illegally because he had previously been deported and could not reenter through official channels, saying his purpose was “to make money.” Records show Mr. A first entered Jeju Island without a visa in October 2017 and stayed without legal status until he voluntarily reported himself and was deported in 2024.

At the time of Mr. A’s arrest, police also apprehended a Chinese woman in her 50s who was staying illegally in Korea and handed her over to the Jeju Immigration Office. She was identified as an acquaintance of Mr. A from his earlier stay in Jeju Island. Police, in cooperation with the Coast Guard, are now pursuing the other five Chinese nationals who traveled on the boat with Mr. A.

The rubber boat was equipped with a 90-horsepower engine. Authorities also found 12 fuel containers of various sizes, bread wrappers with Chinese writing, two fishing rods, and six life jackets on board. Some of the fuel containers still contained gasoline.