By Kim Young Deok and Kim Minji 

The Ministry of Justice on March 14 said the amnesty period for foreign nationals in the country illegally to voluntarily leave will end late this month. 

After a holding a discussion on measures cracking down on visa overstays, the ministry said those without proper visas who voluntarily leave during the amnesty period will not face entry bans regardless of how long they have illegally stayed. 

Violators caught during the period face deportation and an entry ban of up to ten years. Those who overstay can still depart after this month via the Korea Immigration Service's 19 offices nationwide, but will not be exempt from an entry ban.

During the last amnesty period from October last year to February this year, 34,000 visa violators voluntarily left the country, with Thais comprising most of them. Second were Chinese, followed by Kazakhs, Russians and Vietnamese.

kyd1991@korea.kr