Japanese police. This photo is not directly related to the article. [AP]
Japanese police. This photo is not directly related to the article. [AP]

A South Korean man in his 70s has been arrested in Japan after living there illegally for about 26 years.

Moon, a 72-year-old unemployed South Korean man, was arrested on suspicion of violating immigration law through illegal overstay, according to TV Asahi on Thursday. He had been living in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Investigators found that Moon entered Japan by plane in 1993 using his younger brother's passport, obtaining a short-term stay permit of 15 days. He remained in the country after that permit expired.

Police believe he lived illegally in Japan for about 26 years following the introduction of an illegal overstay offense in 2000.

During his time in Japan, Moon went by the Japanese name Morita Shoichi, working occasional day-labor jobs.

News of his decades-long illegal stay drew criticism in Japan toward authorities for failing to detect it over such an extended period.

Japanese internet users reacted with a mix of disbelief and sarcasm. "Decades of illegal stay and nobody noticed — Japan really is something else," one user wrote. "It's shocking that an illegal stay of 26 years was even possible," said another.

Moon admitted to the charges during police questioning. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances that led to his prolonged stay in Japan and the details of his life there.


bbo@heraldcorp.com