A Seoul court rejected a lawsuit on behalf of a Nepalese human rights activist, Wednesday, seeking to revoke a government decision to deport him.

The 38-year-old Minod Moktan, widely known by his alias Minu, had stayed in Korea for 17 years before being caught as an illegal alien last year. Minu performed as a singer and was an activist for other foreign workers. He was deported last October.

The Seoul Administrative Court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that he had been an illegal alien for more than a decade.

"When he was caught in a regular crackdown in 2000, he simply ran away and hid. The Immigration Office's decision to deport him this time was therefore justified," it said in a ruling.

Minu first came to Korea on a tourist visa. He worked at restaurants and spoke up for his fellow migrant workers' rights.

He was one of the founding members of Migrant Workers' Television (MWTV) and has disclosed social prejudices and discrimination against foreign workers as a video journalist.

His deportation drew huge criticism from civic groups and activists. They claimed that it was odd that the immigration officials caught him, although they knew all along about his public activities, arguing that it might indicate a hardline policy against immigrant activists.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr