He Entered Japan On A 15-Day Visa In 1993, Arrested 33 Years Later At 72

A 72-year-old South Korean man who entered Japan with permission to stay for just 15 days in 1993 has been arrested after allegedly spending the next 33 years living in the country.

Japanese authorities arrested the man, identified in reports as Mun Jong-gi, in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, on August 26. Police allege that he entered Japan in September 1993 using his younger brother's passport and never returned to South Korea after his visa expired.

According to a report by The Times of India, Mun had travelled to Japan in search of better-paid work. He is believed to have spent the following decades earning a living through day labour and other casual jobs. 

The case came to light only this year. Police received information about a suspected illegal resident in June 2026 and began looking into the matter. Their investigation eventually led them to Mun.

Police say he admitted to the allegations during questioning. However, the circumstances of how he managed to stay in Japan for so long without legal residency are still being looked into.

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His stay began with a 15-day visa

Mun arrived in Japan at a time when the country had a much larger number of people overstaying their visas. In 1993, Japan recorded around 298,646 visa overstayers, according to figures from the country's Justice Ministry cited in reports.

Mun's authorised stay, however, was only 15 days. After that period ended, he continued living in Japan.

Over the years, he reportedly supported himself by taking up casual work. Police have not shared many details about where he worked or where he lived during his long stay.

There is also an important legal detail behind the reported timeline. While Mun is believed to have remained in Japan for around 33 years, police are referring to roughly 26 years of illegal residence in connection with the current criminal allegation.

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Japan introduced criminal punishment for illegal residence after changes to its immigration law came into effect in February 2000. As a result, the alleged offence covered by the arrest is counted from that point, rather than from the expiry of his original stay in 1993.

Japan's overstayer numbers have also changed sharply since Mun first arrived. By January 2026, the figure had dropped to 68,488.