A Chinese national who attempted to enter South Korea after traveling more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) on a jet ski from China was apprehended, according to the coastguard on Tuesday.
The man left Shandong province on an 1800-cc jet ski while wearing a life jacket and helmet, navigating with binoculars and a compass, and pulling five fuel barrels.
The coastguard stated in a press statement that "he refilled the fuel on the vehicle and dumped the empty barrels into the sea."
He asked for help when his jet ski became trapped in tidal flats close to the cruise terminal in the western port city of Incheon.
The unnamed individual, according to the coastguard, was detained when he "attempted to smuggle himself into" Incheon.
Authorities claimed they did not discover any evidence that the individual was a spy.
According to campaigner Lee Dae-seon of the NGO Dialogue China, which is headquartered in South Korea, the jet-ski escapee is the Chinese rights activist Kwon Pyong.
Kwon, 35, spent time in jail in China for subversion after posting images on social media insulting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee told AFP on Tuesday.
Although his method of entry into South Korea was illegal, Lee claimed that Kwon's risky crossing into the country was motivated by political persecution in China and surveillance by Chinese authorities since 2016.
He claimed that the man was considering whether to file for refugee status in South Korea or in another nation.
Only a few refugees are granted asylum in South Korea each year.
When approached by AFP, the Chinese embassy in Seoul declined to comment.Â
