Reiwa 7 (Wa) No. 234 Case of Forging Official Documents with Seals

In May 2025, South Korean national Kim Jae-hyun was arrested in Tokyo for producing fake Japanese government documents bearing the official seals of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Bureau. The forged documents included certificates of eligibility and invitation letters purportedly issued by Japanese authorities, which were used to facilitate the illegal entry and residence of several South Korean nationals. Investigators found that Kim operated a broker network targeting individuals seeking work in Japan, charging substantial fees for the counterfeit papers. The case was classified as a Japan-Korea incident due to the bilateral implications and the involvement of a transnational ring. Prosecutors indicted Kim under Article 155 of the Penal Code for forging official documents with seals. The trial drew media attention in both countries, highlighting gaps in document verification systems.

On March 12, 2026, the Tokyo District Court sentenced Kim Jae-hyun to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years. The court found him guilty of forging official documents with seals and violating the Immigration Control Act, but considered his admission of guilt and lack of prior criminal record.

The main disputes were whether the defendant intended to impair public trust in official documents and whether the forgeries met the legal threshold of "official documents" given that some were digital reproductions. Additionally, the defense argued that Kim was merely an intermediary and that the principal perpetrators were in South Korea, raising jurisdictional challenges.

The case sparked a brief diplomatic row, with South Korean media questioning the treatment of their national, while Japanese authorities emphasized the need to tighten border document checks. It led to enhanced cooperation between Japan and South Korea on preventing document fraud, but also fueled anti-Korean sentiment in some circles. Immigration procedures for Korean applicants were temporarily intensified, causing public debate over profiling and due process.