Protesters call for the Constitutional Court to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol at a rally in Seoul, Saturday. The Ministry of Justice told The Korea Times recently that it received petitions accusing foreign nationals of participating in anti-Yoon rallies here. Newsis
The government has received petitions accusing foreign nationals of participating in protests against President Yoon Suk Yeol, amid attempts by some ruling party lawmakers to label them as "pro-China" activists.
In a statement sent to The Korea Times recently, a representative of the Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for immigration matters, said its offices have received such complaints since Yoon's botched imposition of martial law early last month.
By law, ministry officials working in the relevant division must review whether the allegations are plausible and determine whether to launch formal investigations, as the immigration law bans foreign nationals from participating in political activities here.
The representative declined to disclose whether any formal investigations had been initiated or if there were plans to do so, citing the sensitivity of the issue.
“A comprehensive consideration would be needed to determine whether a foreign national violated the law by participating in ‘political activities,' such as the person's motives, purpose and the consequences of the person's actions,” the representative said.
According to Article 17 of the Immigration Act, “If an alien (foreign national) staying in the Republic of Korea engages in any political activity, the Minister of Justice may order the alien in writing to suspend such activity or may issue other necessary orders.”
This comes at a time when the Chinese Embassy in Seoul is urging its citizens here not to partake in political activities. In a statement released on Jan. 5, the embassy said it “continues to urge Chinese citizens in Korea to abide by Korean laws and regulations and to be mindful of their personal safety.” A day earlier, it posted a similar warning on social media that a violation of that law could result in deportation.
The embassy's decision to issue the warning was believed to be prompted by fears of Sinophobia, fueled by some lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), including Kim Meen-geon and Yoo Sang-bum, who were accused of trying to deflect criticism from Yoon through this move.
Yet investigative authorities have not corroborated any evidence of their claims, such as a photo of a “protester” wearing a jacket with the logo of a Chinese university.
Annoyed by what appears to be an attempt to brand anti-Yoon protesters and opposition politicians in Korea as "pro-China," Global Times, a newspaper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, condemned the PPP, citing a think tank researcher.
“While ongoing conflicts between political factions will continue, creating instability and uncertainty, dragging China into domestic political battles at this time is not a wise move,” it said on Jan. 7. “The impeached President Yoon made a televised address in December, in which he mentioned cases involving Chinese nationals in South Korea and also claimed that ‘Chinese solar power facilities will destroy forests nationwide.' In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China absolutely opposes South Korea associating its domestic affairs with Chinese elements, calling the comment deeply upsetting.”