More than 1,000 convicts hiding abroad to evade prison

More than 1,000 convicts sentenced to prison were found to be avoiding imprisonment by hiding overseas last year, data showed Monday.

According to Ministry of Justice data from 2019 to 2023 released by Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk of the ruling People Power Party, as of last year, a total of 6,075 criminals sentenced to incarceration had absconded either domestically or overseas. The figure increased from 4,405 in 2019 to 5,911 in 2022.

Of the total number of fugitives, 1,014 were on the run in other countries, making it more difficult for authorities to trace them. The number of overseas fugitives rose from 698 in 2019 to 815 in 2020 and 928 in 2022.

As of last year, officials had been able to recapture and enforce sentences on 3,682 fugitives, or around 60 percent of the total.

However, some who fled were able to avoid prosecution as the statute of limitations expired. In 2023, eight fugitives were exempt from prison time because the enforcement period lapsed.

Under Korean law, if a convict evades imprisonment for a certain period of time, the sentence can be void, meaning long-term fugitives could evade imprisonment entirely.

Rep. Jang raised concern about the potential for fugitives to commit additional crimes as they continue to flee domestically and overseas. “We need to actively capture these criminals who are on the run, and improve procedures to enforce their sentences, especially as their evasion tactics become more sophisticated.”