South Koreans imprisoned overseas rise more than 25% over 4 years: Report

The number of South Korean citizens imprisoned overseas has risen by more than 25% over the past four years, Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday.

The number of imprisoned South Koreans reached 1,325 across 54 countries as of the end of June, ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Joon-hwan said, citing the Foreign Ministry data.

The numbers showed a 25.6% increase from 1,055 tallied in 2022.

China holds the largest number of incarcerated South Koreans with 424 cases, followed by Japan 254, Vietnam 204, the US 138, the Philippines 61, Cambodia 54 and Thailand 43.

Vietnam saw the sharpest increase, with the figure climbing nearly fivefold from 42 in 2022.

Fraud was the most common offense, accounting for 332 cases, followed by drug-related crimes 291, murder 128, gambling 91, theft 69 and sexual assault or harassment 52.

Another 34 South Koreans were jailed on kidnapping-related charges linked to organized crime, including employment scams.