With the impending crackdown on illegal workers in South Korea, Philippine Ambassador Luis T. Cruz discussed the possibility of allowing amnesty for unregistered foreigners during a conversation with Justice Minister Kyung-han Kim before the opening ceremony of the “Together Day” on 20 May at the Seoul Olympic Parktel.

The Ministry of Justice currently allows “irregular” foreigners who have overstayed in South Korea for less than one year to voluntarily depart without their names being placed in the blacklist after paying the penalty fees, according to Mr. Kyu-ho Choo, Commissioner of Korea Immigration Service. As to the suggestion of Ambassador Cruz to accord the same condition of “no blacklisting” for voluntary leavers who had overstayed for more than a year, Mr. Choo said that they would study the proposal. The South Korean Government has reportedly fixed a quota of 9,000 for the number of people the Korean Immigration must arrest by July.

Amb. Cruz reiterates the reminder of the Philippine Embassy to all Filipinos in South Korea to abide by local regulations.

Tuesday’s first-ever “Together Day” was designated by the “Act on the Treatment of Foreigners Residing in Korea,” a law recently enacted by the National Assembly in order to assist foreigners adapt to Korean society and promote mutual awareness of history and culture.