Former Local Officer Aids Police in Apprehending Fleeing Suspects in Jeju

A dramatic chase through Jeju ended with the apprehension of four undocumented foreign nationals who had fled police after being stopped for traffic violations. The suspects ignored police orders to stop and sped away, initiating a pursuit that eventually involved civilian assistance to bring them into custody.

Officers from the Jeju West Police Station pursued the vehicle for approximately 1.3 kilometers after the driver refused to pull over. Once the car was stopped, the four individuals inside exited and scattered in different directions. Police quickly apprehended two of them at the scene, and another was caught about 200 meters away in a residential area. The driver, however, fled towards a main road.

Two citizens witnessed the pursuit and joined the effort to apprehend the fleeing driver. One of these individuals was identified as Lee Young-ho, a former local police officer and current member of the Jeju Local Police Committee. The 60-year-old Lee, dressed in shorts and slippers, saw the police struggling and immediately intervened, helping to restrain the driver. Another citizen, a man also believed to be in his 60s, assisted but left the scene before his identity could be confirmed.

Further investigation revealed that all four individuals in the vehicle were undocumented foreign nationals whose period of legal stay in South Korea had expired. The driver, identified as Chinese national A, is also suspected of driving without a license. The police have since handed the individuals over to the immigration office. The head of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency expressed gratitude to Lee and the other citizen for their courageous actions in assisting the police during the difficult apprehension.

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We express our sincere gratitude to Committee Member Lee Young-ho and the other citizen for their courageous actions, without a moment's hesitation, in helping us when we were having difficulty apprehending the suspects.