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South Korean man arrested in Japan after overstaying 15-day visa for 26 years

The arrest of the South Korean national comes as Japan continues to record a huge number of visa overstays.

• August 28, 2026
Police in Japan
Police in Japan [Credit: ARAB NEWS]

A 72-year-old South Korean national has been arrested in Japan for allegedly overstaying his 15-day tourist visa for more than 26 years.

The suspect was arrested on Wednesday after the police received information about his immigration status in June.

The police said the suspect entered the country in September 1993 to seek better employment opportunities using his brother’s passport and a 15-day tourist visa.

He was also said to have supported himself by working temporary day jobs while living in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture.

The police said he admitted to the allegation during interrogation.

Authorities said he breached the country’s revised immigration laws, which made visa overstaying a punishable offence.

The arrest of the South Korean national comes as Japan continues to record a huge number of visa overstays despite the country’s strict immigration laws.

In January, the justice ministry disclosed that 68,488 people were overstaying their visas. The figure indicates a significant drop from the 200,000 visa overstays recorded in 1993.

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