Defendant allegedly transferred W1.25m to Khatiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad
An Uzbek national who entered South Korea on a language-training visa is awaiting a court ruling on charges that he sent money to a UN-designated terrorist group based in Syria.
The man was indicted while in custody in June on charges including a violation of South Korea’s Counter-Terrorism Act, according to legal sources. The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on Oct. 21.
He entered Korea in April 2021 on a D-4-1 visa, which allows foreigners to study at university-affiliated Korean language institutes. In November 2023, he received a Telegram message from a member of Khatiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, or KTJ, who identified himself as a fellow Uzbek and said the group was fighting Syrian government forces and Russia, according to the allegations.
The member asked for financial support, saying, “We are fighting for the oppressed Muslims, but we are struggling to survive because we have no money.”
The defendant allegedly sent a total of 1.25 million won ($920) to accounts designated by the KTJ member between January 2024 and January 2025.
He is also accused of agreeing to receive money from another person in Korea and forward it to Syria at the member’s request. That transfer did not take place because the other person never sent the money.
KTJ, an extremist group established in 2014, has been linked to attacks in Syria, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. The UN Security Council added it to its sanctions list in March 2022.
The court closed proceedings after the first hearing on Sept. 18 and set Oct. 21 as the date for its ruling.
shwang9@heraldcorp.com