PPP lawmaker introduces bill to impose harsher penalties on repeat travel-ban violators

People Power Party lawmaker Yu Yong-won on Monday introduced a bill to toughen penalties against individuals who repeatedly enter travel-banned zones without authorization.

The proposed amendment to the Passport Act would allow courts to impose aggravated sentences on those who habitually violate Article 17 of the act, which prohibits entry into countries or regions designated off-limits. Under current law, unauthorized entry carries criminal penalties, but no separate provision exists to impose heavier punishment on repeat offenders.

The bill follows a recent incident in which activists who attempted to enter Gaza — a designated travel-ban zone — were detained by Israeli authorities. The South Korean government provided consular support for their release and return home under the Act on Consular Assistance for Overseas Koreans.

After returning to South Korea, the individuals reportedly declared their intention to re-enter Gaza and were subsequently detained again after making another attempt. Despite administrative measures — including restrictions on passport use and orders to surrender passports — additional violations occurred.

The amendment would add a new provision to Article 24 of the Passport Act, applying the Criminal Act's habitual-offender aggravation clause to such cases and allowing sentences to be increased by up to one-half of the statutory maximum.

Yu criticized both the repeat offenders and the government's response. "Deliberately plunging the country into a diplomatic dilemma by unlawfully entering dangerous conflict zones and other high-risk areas goes beyond mere recklessness — it is a security threat," he said. "The current administration's tepid response and the legal gap have effectively given habitual violators a free pass."

He added that the bill was "a legislative measure to hold irresponsible behavior to strict legal account and raise diplomatic vigilance to the highest level," and pledged to do everything possible to ensure its swift passage "to enhance the nation's standing and build a diplomatic line of defense."