Canadian sentenced to prison for smuggling South Koreans into U.S.

A Canadian man was sentenced Friday to two years in federal prison for leading a human-smuggling ring that sneaked dozens of South Koreans into the U.S. through Canada two years ago.

Jin Kyu "Alex" Sohn has already served that time while awaiting the outcome of his case in U.S. District Court.

Prosecutors said they sought an unusually light sentence for Sohn because he cooperated with authorities investigating other similar smuggling operations.

Sohn, 44, was indicted in 2007 along with two others on 25 counts related to their operation. Prosecutors said Sohn and his accomplices transported at least 25 immigrants — probably more — across the border to the U.S. and hid them in safe houses.

Sohn pleaded guilty to two counts in April.

"Many of the aliens were required to pay significant smuggling debts, and compelled to work in various locations throughout the United States, including engaging in sex work or in other forms of labor for low pay," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ye-Ting Woo wrote in court documents.

In court Friday, Woo told Judge Ricardo Martinez that Sohn cooperated after he was indicted, and helped agents crack other smuggling rings that had been using the same safe houses as Sohn's group.

Woo said that since the rings were broken up, the problem of illegal South Korean immigrant smuggling has dried up because the U.S. and South Korea have entered an agreement making it easier for South Koreans to come to the U.S. legally.

Sohn apologized to the judge and said, "I have been treated very well by the government here."

Seattle Times staff reporter Mike Carter contributed to this report.

Ian Ith: 206-464-2109 or iith@seattletimes.com

Information in this article, originally published July 10, was corrected July 11, 2009. An initial version of the story incorrectly identified the judge overseeing Friday's sentencing as John Coughenour. Judge Ricardo Martinez was in court Friday.