Korean Police Certificate

[Laetitiaalbert]

Hello,

I have an issue in getting my Criminal (Investigation) records check reply with lapsed records from Korea: my representative in Korea was told when she went to a police office it is against the law now to issue this document for a foreigner - only native Koreans may get it. I have called the Police and several governmental institutions and they confirmed that the law recently changed. The only document they can issue for foreigners is the Background Check (criminal records) certificate.
I reckon some of you have faced the same issue recently: how did you solve it? Was the Background Check certificate accepted for your application?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Laetitia

 

[DarylM]

Did you get any further Laetitia? I have the same problem.

 

[Laetitiaalbert]

Did you get any further Laetitia? I have the same problem.

Yes I submitted the background check certificate instead of the criminal check certificate and that was fine as the law changed in Korea and prevents foreigners to get the investigation check certificate. You may get it through the consulat (or embassy I reckon) within 10 days approx. Good luck!

 

[DarylM]

Yes I submitted the background check certificate instead of the criminal check certificate and that was fine as the law changed in Korea and prevents foreigners to get the investigation check certificate. You may get it through the consulat (or embassy I reckon) within 10 days approx. Good luck!

Ohh, wow, thank you so much Laetitia. I was reading about people who got their whole application thrown out because it was the wrong kind of police check.

Tomorrow I'll go to the Consulate and get whatever they are offering. Thanks again. Big sigh of relief.

 

[Laetitiaalbert]

Ohh, wow, thank you so much Laetitia. I was reading about people who got their whole application thrown out because it was the wrong kind of police check.

Tomorrow I'll go to the Consulate and get whatever they are offering. Thanks again. Big sigh of relief.

Ah ah ah I also stressed up during weeks after reading the same comments as you so I am more than happy to help! Btw, I sent along with the background check a letter explaining the change in the Korean law, preventing foreigners to get the criminal check from now on, and all my efforts to obtain the criminal check anyway. I reckon it might be worth doing it, just in case the officer in charge of our application is not aware of this change yet.

 

[DarylM]

Ah ah ah I also stressed up during weeks after reading the same comments as you so I am more than happy to help! Btw, I sent along with the background check a letter explaining the change in the Korean law, preventing foreigners to get the criminal check from now on, and all my efforts to obtain the criminal check anyway. I reckon it might be worth doing it, just in case the officer in charge of our application is not aware of this change yet.

Yes, I planned to do that - along with all the forum responses and complaints. Did you find somewhere that states there is a change in law? I only find references to it, second hand, on this forum or the facebook forum.

 

[Laetitiaalbert]

I contacted the Korean police headquarters and the Korean ministry of foreign affairs directly and they confirmed over the phone the change in law - but they did not want to send me an email confirming it and they told me there was not any official document they could share with me stating the change. They were very helpful but could not share any document - I reckon it is only a government to government communication.

 

[DarylM]

I contacted the Korean police headquarters and the Korean ministry of foreign affairs directly and they confirmed over the phone the change in law - but they did not want to send me an email confirming it and they told me there was not any official document they could share with me stating the change. They were very helpful but could not share any document - I reckon it is only a government to government communication.

Then if you don't mind, I will just quote your response above and hope that will be enough. I will ask at the Consulate but I suspect they are not going to help any further - there is a note on their website saying they cannot answer any more questions about police checks - which makes me think that they have been asked many times already.

 

[Laetitiaalbert]

I doubt quoting me would have much value - the best might be to contact yourself the Korean institutions and double check with them and then relay what they told you, wouldn’t it? With Skype credit it is not expensive:
+82 23150 1635 or +82 23150 1960.
The consulate I visited had absolutely no information about this at all.
Good luck

 

[DarylM]

I doubt quoting me would have much value - the best might be to contact yourself the Korean institutions and double check with them and then relay what they told you, wouldn’t it? With Skype credit it is not expensive:
+82 23150 1635 or +82 23150 1960.
The consulate I visited had absolutely no information about this at all.
Good luck

Did they speak English? If they didn't give you any kind of written response then I guess you just said you called them? It seems to me that you have set a precedent which was accepted by IRCC, so they need to be consistent. I will try calling but if I can't get anyone to speak to I will just send IRCC everything I have and hope for the best.

 

[ishrat6788]

Hi, my application recently got rejected because I submitted the one without lapsed record. Exhausted every option we have to resolve this issue but couldn’t find any way out of it. Tried to contact few law firms in Korea, they also stopped arranging this document. Sent my friend and aunt to two different police station everywhere they were rejected because of this document being illegal. Any way to resolve this?

 

[DarylM]

Hi, my application recently got rejected because I submitted the one without lapsed record. Exhausted every option we have to resolve this issue but couldn’t find any way out of it. Tried to contact few law firms in Korea, they also stopped arranging this document. Sent my friend and aunt to two different police station everywhere they were rejected because of this document being illegal. Any way to resolve this?

That's insane. Did you show them all your attempts to get the right document? I've just submitted my two other police checks along with about 8 pages evidencing all the places I've tried to get the lapsed record one; the Korean Police Agency, the Consulates, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I also showed the evidence of other people's attempts from this forum and others. Tomorrow I'll submit the non lapsed Consulate police check.

If they reject my application I will be straight on to my MP. It is the last resort to get someone to reason with them.

If you sent your aunt, presumably you are Korean? The messages I was given was that it is not available for foreigners. Maybe that makes a difference, or you need a different set of evidence.

 

[ishrat6788]

No I am not a Korean. However my aunt is. She tried to reason with them a lot. Then again I sent my another friend with all the required documents to get the PCC with lapsed record. She was also rejected reason beingn they are illegal.

Did contact (via phone) the Korean embassy several times, they straight away asked me to follow the instructions by Police stations. So kinda lost. Webforms have no reply at all.

But to mention, I did not include any evidence in my application. I only attached my Korean PCC from the consulate. So hopefully your application with all these evidence will work.

But my point is, It’s kind of unfair that they rejected my application for a document which is illegal in a country. In the webform tried to make this point that the additional document they wanted was and is illegal. Based on that how can they reject my application. If I apply next time with all the evidence of my attempts, not really sure how much will it help.

If you submit your application with the information you just mentioned, can you kindly update here if they were helpful or not?

 

[DarylM]

I will. Are you

No I am not a Korean. However my aunt is. She tried to reason with them a lot. Then again I sent my another friend with all the required documents to get the PCC with lapsed record. She was also rejected reason beingn they are illegal.

Did contact (via phone) the Korean embassy several times, they straight away asked me to follow the instructions by Police stations. So kinda lost. Webforms have no reply at all.

But to mention, I did not include any evidence in my application. I only attached my Korean PCC from the consulate. So hopefully your application with all these evidence will work.

But my point is, It’s kind of unfair that they rejected my application for a document which is illegal in a country. In the webform tried to make this point that the additional document they wanted was and is illegal. Based on that how can they reject my application. If I apply next time with all the evidence of my attempts, not really sure how much will it help.

If you submit your application with the information you just mentioned, can you kindly update here if they were helpful or not?

in Canada?

 

[ishrat6788]

I will. Are you

in Canada?

No, I am living in Singapore.