AFP – A Vietnamese court has sentenced four South Korean men to prison for smuggling people into the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnamese police said today.
A Da Nang court sentenced Le Kwan Young, 55, and So Young Jin, 50, to 10 years in prison for organizing illegal immigration, while Song Hong Sap and Kim Chang Ji were sentenced to 9 years and 4 and a half years respectively the prison, respectively. Da Nang police said on their website.
Vietnam closed its doors to the outside world in early 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Only foreign professionals and skilled workers from authorized companies are allowed to enter the country. Before the Vietnamese official reopens the country in March 2022
Official media said the men used their company to bring nearly 200 South Koreans into the country illegally.
Lee, former vice president of the South Korean Association in Da Nang received more than $42,000, while Zo pocketed $3,600 for their services performed between December 2020 and March 2021 when they were arrested.
Fifteen Vietnamese men and women were also sentenced to prison, and five others, including a South Korean national, were given suspended prison terms for the same charges.
Vietnamese authorities are investigating wrongdoing in several cases during the outbreak of COVID-19. At least 100 officials and businessmen have been arrested in connection with a scandal involving the distribution of COVID-19 testing kits.
37 suspects, mostly diplomats and police Arrested for investigating repatriation of Vietnamese nationals during the COVID-19 pandemic
South Korea is the leading foreign investor in Vietnam with a total registered capital of more than $81 billion.
