Guro phone shops under investigation over alleged illegal passport registrations

A mobile phone store in Garibong-dong, Guro District, Seoul, appears in a July 24 video on YouTube channel Workdol, with a sign in Chinese offering phone service using illegal passports. Captured from Workdol channel

Police have launched a full-scale inspection of mobile phone retailers across Seoul’s Guro District following online allegations that some stores advertize phone service activations using fake or unauthorized passports.

According to Guro Police Station on Thursday, officers began on-site checks and intelligence gathering at all telecom outlets in the district on July 28. If any illegal activity is uncovered, police said they plan to escalate the investigation.

The controversy began with a YouTube video uploaded July 24 by the channel Workdol, featuring Tsuki of K-pop girl group Billlie on a patrol experience with local officers in Garibong-dong. In the footage, a shop was seen displaying a sign in Chinese offering mobile phone activations using “illegal passports.”

The video drew backlash online, with viewers criticizing what appeared to be open promotion of illegal services. The channel later clarified that the store had been reported to the relevant authorities.

Police visited the store in question but found no immediate evidence of criminal activity beyond the signage. “No illegal phone activations were caught on site, and we did not receive any victim statements,” a police official said. “There were no grounds at the time to launch a criminal investigation.”

Police said they are conducting a district-wide sweep to determine whether similar cases exist. “Given the public concern raised by the video, we are investigating all local telecom retailers to assess the situation,” the official added.

Under Korea’s Telecommunications Business Act, using or facilitating mobile services with invalid identification can result in up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won ($77,000).

Possessing or using a forged passport can lead to a sentence of one to ten years for document forgery, or up to one year in prison or a fine of 10 million won under the Passport Act.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.