September 9, 2025
SEOUL – The number of penalties imposed on foreigners for minor crimes has surged in recent years, National Police Agency data revealed Monday.
A total of 2,697 penalties have been imposed on foreign nationals this year as of July, according to a report compiled by Rep. Park Jeong-hyeon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, based on the NPA data. The accumulated amount of the fines stood at 91 million won ($65,300). Both figures surpassed those recorded for all of 2024, when 79 million won was imposed across 2,109 cases.
Penalties refer to payments made to the state for violations outlined in the Punishment of Minor Offenses Act. Though more severe than administrative fines, they are not classified as criminal punishments and do not result in a criminal record.
The report showed that just 452 penalties were imposed on foreigners in 2021.
An overwhelming majority (75 percent) of the penalties were issued for littering. Other frequent offenses included public urination, excessive noise, drunken disturbances and fare evasion.
Rule-breaking or disregard for social etiquette by foreign visitors has been an issue in regions with high tourist inflows. Public anger sparked in April when a video of a Chinese woman smoking inside a bus on Jeju Island went viral online.
Jeju Island, one of the most-visited tourist spots in the country, logged 2,482 cases of jaywalking by foreign nationals in 2024, according to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency. The region accounted for over 80 percent of all jaywalking cases recorded that year.
Outside of jaywalking, an additional 155 penalties were imposed on foreign visitors for minor offenses in Jeju throughout 2024. The offenses included 137 cases of littering, and other offenses such as public urination, public disturbance, fare evasion, public exposure, and interference with business.
In response, Jeju authorities distributed warnings and information guides about minor offenses and related penalties in South Korea in August, in Korean, English and Chinese. According to the officials, most offenses occur due to a lack of understanding or cultural differences.
One of the major challenges regarding minor offenses by foreign nationals is that South Korean authorities have limited means to enforce the payment of fines. Though the Immigration Act states that those with outstanding fines of at least 10 million won are banned from leaving the country, this does not apply to most penalties, which result in fines of 600,000 won at most.
As of July, 20 million won in fines for 539 cases have not been paid by foreign offenders. In 2024, the unpaid amount was also 20 million won, for 457 penalties.
If a foreign national leaves the country without paying a fine imposed against them, Korean authorities can arrest them upon reentry.
