Over half of those caught were international students from 96 universities A delivery rider checks his phone for new orders while sitting on a motorcycle. (123rf) Hundreds of foreign nationals were caught working as delivery riders in South Korea by using other people’s app accounts, as authorities move to crack down on unauthorized work in the fast-growing platform delivery industry.The Justice Ministry said Monday it caught 734 foreign riders and 16 delivery agencies during a five-month crackdown from January to May. The number of riders was nearly 11 times the 67 caught throughout last year.The ministry said the riders were accused of working outside the scope of their visa status or without proper work authorization. Many had allegedly used app accounts registered under other people’s names to bypass platform checks.“We will strengthen investigations not only into foreign nationals working illegally as delivery riders, but also into brokers who provide accounts under other people’s names,” Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho said. “We will work with related agencies and platform companies to block the conditions that allow illegal delivery work to continue.”Vietnamese nationals accounted for the largest share, with 444 cases, or 61 percent, followed by Chinese nationals at 164 and Uzbek nationals at 86.More than half of those caught, or 410 people, were international students on D-2 visas. The ministry said the students were enrolled at 96 universities. Others included overseas Koreans on F-4 visas and job seekers on D-10 visas.Authorities ordered 68 people to leave the country, including through deportation, and imposed fines totaling 1.63 billion won ($1.06 million) on 643 others. Twenty cases remain under investigation, while two people were referred to prosecutors and one wanted person was handed over to police.Fifteen foreign riders were also found to have worked without driver’s licenses and will be referred to the police after further investigation, the ministry said.The crackdown also exposed how some delivery agencies allegedly turned app accounts into a rental business.In one case, a delivery agency owner in Seoul allegedly rented app accounts obtained from an acquaintance to 67 foreign riders and charged each person 200,000 won to 250,000 won per month. The case was sent to prosecutors with a recommendation for indictment without detention.In another case, a foreign national on a D-9 trade management visa allegedly used a Korean citizen’s delivery app account to work as a rider in Gangnam, southern Seoul, for one year and seven months, earning about 52 million won.Police later sent the case to prosecutors with a recommendation for indictment without detention.Other agency owners in Seoul, Bucheon, Daejeon and Sejong allegedly rented Korean-owned delivery app accounts to foreign riders in exchange for weekly payments, monthly fees or a cut of delivery commissions.One agency owner in Daejeon allegedly provided accounts to 62 foreign riders and charged each 150,000 won per month.The ministry said it has recommended that delivery platform operators introduce facial recognition systems for rider apps and strengthen oversight of delivery agencies. Officials held a meeting with platform companies in May to discuss ways to prevent unauthorized account sharing.