TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested three individuals, including an alleged broker, over a sham marriage scheme designed to secure Japanese residency for a South Korean man so he could visit his mistress, reports TBS News (June 23)
The suspects include Kim Young-rye, a 59-year-old South Korean national and suspected broker; Lee Sang-ki, a 44-year-old South Korean national; and Satoko Kanno, a 42-year-old Japanese restaurant worker.
The trio is accused of making false entries in official electronic records by submitting a forged marriage registration for Lee and Kanno at a city hall in Chiba Prefecture in March 2024.
According to police, Lee was desperate to obtain a Japanese residency visa so he could freely meet with his affair partner living in Japan. Kim reportedly approached Lee with a solution, telling him, “I can introduce you to a girl you can marry in Japan.”
Kim then matched him with Kanno, who was struggling to pay off mounting debts from frequenting male host clubs. Police believe Kanno received at least 800,000 yen in cash as a reward for her role as the fake bride.
During police questioning, Kim denied the allegations.
However, Kanno has admitted to the charges, revealing to investigators the lengths the group went to in order to cover their tracks.
“Kim instructed me to leave men’s clothes in my room and to take photos together with him so the fake marriage wouldn’t be exposed,” Kanno was quoted as saying.
