A 72-year-old South Korean man who entered Japan on a 15-day visa in 1993 is now facing arrest after allegedly remaining in the country for about 33 years. The man, identified in Japanese reports as Mun Jong-gi, entered Japan in September 1993 using his younger brother's passport, according to police. He reportedly came to the country hoping to find better-paid work than he could get in South Korea and subsequently supported himself through day labour and casual jobs. His long stay eventually came to police attention after authorities received information about a suspected illegal resident in June 2026. He was arrested by Shizuoka Prefectural Police on August 26 on suspicion of violating Japan's immigration laws. The case offers a striking illustration of how a brief, seemingly minor immigration violation can quietly persist for decades, surfacing only through chance investigation rather than routine enforcement, even as Japan's broader overstay numbers have fallen dramatically since the 1990s.
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