S Korea crackdown nabs 49 undocumented Vietnamese workers

The others comprised 537 Thai, 33 Chinese, 12 Russian and 11 Filipino citizens, according to the Korea Times.

The Ministry has ordered the deportation of 588 people, of which 16 have departed voluntarily. Five people face prosecution, as do 11 brokers caught in the crackdown. The brokers helped the illegal workers enter South Korea unlawfully and find jobs there.

The crackdown also netted 234 illegal employers, with 210 receiving a notification disposition and 13 facing legal proceedings.

The two-month-long investigation particularly targeted massage parlors, bars with hostesses and other adult entertainment facilities. The suspects stayed and worked illegally in South Korea, taking advantage of some visa waiver programs, the ministry said.

The ministry also said it plans to continue investigating and cracking down on brokers and undocumented foreign workers in delivery and illegal taxi services, along with those who have quit seasonal work programs in September and October.