Korean-American Detained for a Month in South Korea Over Draft Dodging Charge
Here is a good reminder to any Korean-Americans that immigrated from South Korea as a young man, check with the Korean consulate to make sure you don’t get detained for draft dodging when re-entering the country:
U.S. Army combat veteran Tong Yi flew home on Monday, nearly a month after he was detained in South Korea for allegedly violating strict conscription rules.
Stars & Stripes
Yi, a 40-year-old Ohio restaurant owner who also goes by the name Don, traveled to Seoul last month to attend his father’s funeral.
But airport authorities prevented him from leaving the country on Feb. 6 because he faced a decades-old accusation of draft dodging.
South Korean police detained him for several hours. He was later released from custody but barred from leaving the country until March 2 pending review.
Prosecutors later said he was guilty, but they decided not to pursue the case, according to Yi.
Yi, who was born in Seoul but emigrated with his family at age 9, said he’s not angry about the experience.
“I don’t think anyone meant me harm, and I believe they have these laws in place for a reason,” he told Stars and Stripes in a text message Monday from the gate while waiting for his flight.
He said all the officials he met were “sympathetic to my situation and were very professional.”
You can read more at the link.
