SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Crimes committed by South Korean nationals overseas have risen sharply in recent years, climbing by about 45 percent between 2020 and 2024, according to government data. The figures are prompting renewed criticism that the Foreign Ministry has failed to respond to growing risks faced by citizens abroad.
Data submitted by lawmaker Kim Gi-hyeon of the main opposition People Power Party showed that the number of South Korean nationals reported as criminal offenders to overseas South Korean embassies and consulates increased from 2,297 in 2020 to 3,321 in 2024. In the first half of this year alone, 1,876 offenders were reported, suggesting that the total for 2025 could exceed previous years.
Immigration-related violations, including illegal entry, overstaying, and visa abuse, accounted for the largest share. In the first six months of this year, 796 people were charged with such offenses, representing 42.4 percent of all cases.
Violent crimes also showed a steady rise. The number of South Koreans abroad accused of rape or sexual assault grew from 31 in 2020 to 74 in 2024, while murder cases more than doubled from 13 to 27 over the same period.
Between 2020 and mid-2025, the highest number of offenders was recorded in China with 3,389 cases, followed by Japan with 1,743, the Philippines with 1,351, and the United States with 1,180. Nearly half of the cases in the U.S. (49 percent) involved immigration violations.
The scale of the problem becomes clearer when measured against the total number of South Koreans living overseas. As of the most recent data available from the Foreign Ministry and the Overseas Koreans Agency, about 2.47 million South Korean nationals resided abroad at the end of 2022, within an estimated overseas Korean population of 7.08 million. This means around 4.8 percent of South Korea's total population of 51.75 million lives outside the country.
Based on those figures, roughly 0.13 percent of South Koreans living abroad were implicated in crimes handled by diplomatic missions in 2024, up from around 0.09 percent in 2020. Although the rate may appear small, the consistent increase suggests that the rise is not due to population growth but rather to systemic issues in oversight and support for citizens overseas.
Kim Gi-hyeon criticized the Foreign Ministry for what he described as an irresponsible stance, saying the ministry continues to argue that the matter is "outside its jurisdiction." He also said the government has not provided accurate data on the number of South Koreans currently residing in the United States or their visa status.
Kim added that with trade and tariff negotiations between Seoul and Washington still unresolved, the government should take more practical and comprehensive steps to protect South Koreans abroad.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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