Korean woman arrested in Japan for staying past visa-free tourist period

Published: 03 Nov. 2025, 12:37

Japanese national flag hoisted atop of the Bank of Japan headquarters building is seen between traffic signals in Tokyo on Jan. 23. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

 
A Korean woman in her 50s was arrested in Kobe, Japan, for overstaying her visa-free stay after entering the country as a tourist, the Kobe Shimbun reported on Saturday.  
  
Authorities from the Kobe Suijo Police Precinct took the woman into custody on charges of violating Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. Officers said she held Korean nationality and had no fixed address or occupation.
 
  
She entered Japan on July 23 for sightseeing and remained after her permitted stay expired on Oct. 21, according to police. Korean citizens can stay in Japan without a visa for up to 90 days for purposes such as tourism, visiting relatives or short-term business. 
 
Police responded to a security guard’s report of a suspicious person staying inside a public restroom at Meriken Park in Kobe, between Friday night and Saturday morning, and arrested her.
 
She reportedly said that she knew “there was a period of stay, but did not know the exact departure date.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]