Archive · 28 Aug 2026
South Korean Man Arrested After 26-Year Visa Overstay in Japan
A 72-year-old man from South Korea has been arrested in Japan.
Police say he stayed in the country for more than 26 years after his visa expired.
He entered Japan in 1993 with a 15-day tourist visa.
Police say he used his brother’s passport to enter.
He reportedly wanted to find a better-paying job.
The man lived in Yaizu, in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Japan did not treat visa overstaying as a crime until a law change in February 2000.
Because of that, police based the case on the years after the law changed.
A 72-year-old South Korean man was arrested in Japan for allegedly overstaying his visa by more than 26 years.
Police said he entered Japan in September 1993 using his brother’s passport and a 15-day tourist visa.
He reportedly came to Japan to find higher-paying work.
The man, a resident of Yaizu in Shizuoka Prefecture, is believed to have lived there without proper status since 1993.
Police based the arrest on overstaying after February 2000, when an immigration-law amendment made overstaying a criminal offense.
- Who
- A 72-year-old South Korean man living in Yaizu, Japan.
- What
- He was arrested for allegedly overstaying his visa by more than 26 years.
- When
- He was arrested on Wednesday, with the arrest confirmed on Thursday, August 27; he entered Japan in September 1993.
- Where
- Yaizu, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
- Why
- Police allege that he remained in Japan without proper immigration status after entering to seek higher-paying work.
- Suspect
- 72-year-old South Korean man
- Entry to Japan
- September 1993
- Original visa
- 15-day tourist visa
- Reported overstay
- More than 26 years
- Residence
- Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture
- Police tip
- Police received a tip in June
- Relevant law change
- Visa overstaying became a criminal offense under an amended immigration law in February 2000