Foreign businessman denied entry to Jeju over sexual offense conviction

A South Korean court has upheld the government's decision to deny entry to a foreign businessman who had purchased land in Jeju for a resort project, citing a past sexual offense conviction.

The Seoul Administrative Court ruled on May 28 that the denial of entry and a prior travel permit (K-ETA) to the foreign national, identified only as 'A', was lawful. 'A' had been given a suspended sentence (giiso-yuye) for charges of indecent assault by abuse of authority, related to an incident involving a female employee.

'A' had purchased approximately 33.8 billion won worth of land in Jeju for a hospitality and resort business. He argued that eight years had passed since his suspended sentence, his risk of reoffending was low due to his age, and that his denied entry would result in significant economic losses for Jeju's tourism and his investment project.

However, the court found that 'A' had committed a crime involving abuse of power against a subordinate employee, which could not be easily excused. The court also noted that 'A' continued to deny the facts of the case, indicating a lack of sufficient change in his understanding and acceptance of responsibility. The court concluded that allowing entry to foreigners who have committed illegal acts, regardless of their status or economic contributions, could weaken public safety and the rule of law. The case is currently under appeal.