Foreign Suspects in Violent Crime Rise 12% Over Five Years in Korea
Police data show the number of foreign nationals suspected of violent crimes in Korea increased from 689 in 2021 to 771 last year, while authorities caution that the rise occurred alongside much faster growth in the foreign resident population.
The number of foreign nationals suspected of violent crimes in South Korea rose by nearly 12 percent over five years, according to police data released Monday, though authorities said the increase should be considered alongside rapid growth in the country’s foreign resident population.
Figures from the Korean National Police Agency show that 771 foreign nationals were suspected of violent offenses last year, compared with 689 in 2021. Between January and September this year, police apprehended 645 foreign suspects in violent crime cases.
Chinese nationals accounted for the largest group among foreign violent crime suspects last year, with 250. They were followed by Uzbek nationals with 62, U.S. nationals with 60 and Vietnamese nationals with 53. The figures describe the number of suspects by nationality and do not by themselves measure crime rates within each community.
The total number of foreign nationals suspected of all types of crime also increased, rising by more than 7 percent from 32,470 in 2021 to 34,760 last year. The largest percentage increase by nationality was recorded among Mongolian suspects, whose number climbed about 38 percent from 1,007 to 1,397. The number of Thai suspects moved in the opposite direction, declining by more than 20 percent from 2,482 to 1,979.
Police attributed much of the broader rise to the expanding number of foreign residents rather than necessarily to an increase in the rate of offending. Ministry of Justice immigration statistics show that Korea’s foreign national population grew 42.2 percent over the same period, from 1,956,781 in 2021 to 2,783,247 last year. That population growth was substantially faster than the increase in either violent crime suspects or foreign suspects overall.
The data drew attention following a recent brawl in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Police responded late on Oct. 3 to a report that about a dozen foreign nationals were fighting with wooden planks and bats. Authorities issued a Code Zero, the highest emergency dispatch level, and detained two men in their 20s at the scene, identified as Russian and Kyrgyz nationals. Both had sustained injuries, including fractures.
Investigators believe roughly 15 people were involved in the confrontation. Police had confirmed the identities of seven additional individuals and were tracing them as well as vehicles believed to be connected to the incident. The investigation remains focused on establishing who participated and the circumstances that led to the clash.