The Ministry of Justice headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

An immigration official linked to the forced repatriation of Uzbek students by Hanshin University last November was suspended from duty recently, according to the Ministry of Justice. The official is under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes from university officials in exchange for issuing visas to unqualified students.

The latest developments suggest that the official at the Korea Immigration Service may have played a key role in the visa issues that ultimately led to the forced return of the 22 Uzbek students.

The official, whose identity remains undisclosed, is suspected of accepting meals, drinks, and entertainment from university staff in exchange for issuing entry visas to Uzbek students who did not meet the required criteria.

According to police, these alleged exchanges between Hanshin University employees and the immigration official took place approximately 10 times, starting in May 2023. At that time, the official served as the head of the Pyeongtaek branch of the Suwon Immigration Office in Gyeonggi Province, which handles visa matters for foreign students at Hanshin University in Osan in the same province. The Uzbek students were issued entry visas for the fall semester beginning in September that year.

"As part of a regular personnel reshuffle on Jan. 15 this year, the official was removed from duties related to foreign residents and visa matters. He was officially suspended from duty as of May 8," the justice ministry told The Korea Times, Friday.

The official's suspension came two weeks before he was referred to prosecutors on May 21 on charges of violating anti-graft laws and abusing his authority. The ministry said that it became aware of the official's alleged involvement in the case in December of last year.

The suspension of a public official is a disciplinary measure generally applied in cases of ethical or legal misconduct, or when the individual is facing criminal charges.

The revelation that the immigration official allegedly received bribes from Hanshin University — and was subsequently suspended amid the ongoing investigation — adds significant weight to the Uzbek students' claims that they were wrongfully accused of violating visa regulations.

Uzbek students enrolled at a Korean language course at Hanshin University are on a bus heading to Incheon International Airport, Nov. 27, 2023. Courtesy of Uzbek students

On Nov. 27, 2023, 22 Uzbek students enrolled in the university's Korean language course were forcibly returned to their home country by university officials.

The students were instructed to board a bus on campus without prior notice, unaware that it was headed to Incheon International Airport. Once on board, the officials took the students' mobile phones, and upon arrival at the airport, they were escorted onto a pre-booked flight to Tashkent.

The university claimed that the Uzbek students had to leave Korea to prevent them from losing their legal status, as they had allegedly breached an immigration regulation requiring foreign students to maintain a balance of 10 million won in their bank accounts for at least three months prior to visa approval.

However, the Uzbek students argued that they were not properly informed of this requirement by university officials before obtaining their visas. They also contended that their entry visas, which granted a six-month stay, should not have been issued if they had indeed failed to meet the bank balance requirement.

After approximately five months of investigation, Osan Police Station referred three Hanshin University officials and the immigration official to prosecutors on May 21. The university officials faced charges of confinement and extraterritorial abduction.

However, in July, the prosecutors returned the case to the police, requesting further investigation.

An officer at Osan Police Station explained that their investigation had faced minor problems due to difficulties in obtaining testimonies from victims who were back in Tashkent, which led to the case being returned.

"I don't expect significant changes in the suspects or the scope of their charges. We will refer the case back to the prosecutors after completing additional investigations," the officer told The Korea Times, Monday.

Foreigners wait for the issuance of documents at the Sejongno branch of the Seoul Immigration Office in Seoul in this Feb. 24, 2020 photo. Yonhap

Attorney Choi Jeong-gyu of Wongok Law Firm, who represents several of the Uzbek students, criticized the prolonged police investigation, which has been ongoing for nine months.

"The investigation appears to be facing delays now that it has been proved that an immigration official was involved. This suggests that the Korean government may have to bear responsibility for the victims, depending on the investigation results," Choi said.

According to the lawyer, the students received refunds for their tuition fees from the university in late March, about four months after their forced departure. However, this does not address the mental and intangible damage suffered by the students, he said, which may need to be resolved through legal action if necessary.

Hanshin University officials stated that the university is doing its best to resolve the visa issues for some of these Uzbek students, who have expressed a willingness to re-apply for the language course.