This photo of delivery workers having their motorcycles inspected in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, is not directly related to this article. (Yonhap)
This photo of delivery workers having their motorcycles inspected in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, is not directly related to this article. (Yonhap)

A local delivery agency operator is under investigation for allegedly hiring dozens of foreign nationals without proper work visas and registering them under the names of Korean citizens, the Seoul Immigration Office said Tuesday.

The 31-year-old suspect is accused of employing 67 foreign delivery workers between May and January, collecting a 5.5 percent commission from their earnings while also charging each worker between 200,000 won ($134) and 250,000 won, according to the office’s special investigative unit.

Authorities estimate the suspect made about 140 million won in illegal profits. The case has been referred to the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office on suspicion of violating the Immigration Act.

Investigators said the suspect recruited workers through social media. Many of the foreign nationals were in South Korea on student visas and were not authorized to work in delivery services. Some were also found to lack insurance or valid motorcycle licenses.

The 67 workers face potential penalties under the law, including fines and deportation, immigration officials said.

The special investigative unit has been stepping up crackdowns since December on illegal hiring practices in the delivery sector, where foreign workers have increasingly been employed using borrowed identities. Officials said enforcement efforts would continue and warned that agencies engaging in such practices could face criminal charges.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com