About 2,000 Kazakhstanis staying in S Korea illegally

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - About 2,000 Kazakhstanis are staying in South Korea illegally, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to South Korea Dulat Bakishev said at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

"About 2,000 people from Kazakhstan are staying in South Korea illegally. It should be noted that Kazakhstan is not the only country nationals of which are staying in South Korea," Ambassador Bakishev said at the press conference.

In his words, lately some Kazakhstanis have been exploiting visa-free regime between Astana and Seoul. They come to South Korea and stay there illegally.

Earlier South Korean Ambassador to Kazakhstan Yong Chun Cho admitted that since the establishment of the visa free travel between the countries inflow of Kazakhstani nationals to South Korea and Korean nationals to Kazakhstan had increased considerably.

Despite so many Kazakhstanis staying in South Korea illegally, the Kazakh diplomat claimed that the visa-free regime boosts continuous growth of business and tourism cooperation between the two countries.

"The fact that the visa free travel has such ‘side effects' doesn't mean that the Government of South Korea will cancel it unilaterally. I believe that both sides should exert efforts to solve this problem," Bakishev added.