Those born in the CNMI are considered U.S. citizens.
The woman arrived here three weeks ago and will stay on island for four more weeks, Variety learned yesterday.
The Consulate Agency of the Republic of Korea on Guam said it is looking into reports that certain Koreans are bringing their pregnant compatriots to the islands in return for a fee.
“We are…collecting the facts for our reference relating to the issue,” Korean Consul Cheol Wan Chu said in an e-mail yesterday.
A Korean landlord, who declined to be identified, admitted taking care of the pregnant Koreans on Saipan until they give birth.
The landlord said there are two other pregnant Koreans who will give birth anytime this month.
He said those who are “operating” this scheme are based in South Korea.
The landlord denied earning money directly from the scheme.
All he gets, he added, is a fair amount of rent for his apartment units.
There is no law that prevents nonresidents who are legally on island to give birth here.
But a Korean newspaper has published a public announcement from the Korean Consulate on Guam, asking anyone on Saipan who has information about individuals engaged in the scheme to call them.
Consular Assistant Ho Joon Joo, in an interview yesterday, said the Korean Consulate wants to know who are the people behind this “business.”
Joo, who is also the secretary general of the Korean Association of Saipan, said their group is also looking into the matter.
They believe there are more than one Korean on Saipan who is involved.
The landlord of the Korean women who gave birth yesterday disclosed that there are three other people on island who help pregnant Korean women come here as tourists.
One of them is linked with the bigger group that is based on Guam, which is another U.S. insular area.
The landlord said many pregnant Koreans want to have U.S. citizen children so that they can send them to schools in Korea that accept only U.S. citizens.
He said these pregnant women each pay $6,000 to the “agent” in Korea.
Since he charges $1,500 a month for his apartment unit, the landlord usually gets $3,000 from each of the pregnant women because they will stay on Saipan for at least two months.
The “agent” in Korea calls his contact on Saipan to reserve an apartment unit before sending the pregnant Koreans to the island.
These Korean women, the landlord said, pay for their own food and medical expenses while on Saipan.
The landlord said he told the pregnant Koreans to come to Saipan at least four weeks prior to the expected date of delivery.
The women will have their pre-natal care during their stay here, and after giving birth, they can stay up to four weeks before going back to Korea with their newly born U.S. citizen babies.
The landlord said he started accepting pregnant women from Korea since March.
He said he receives three to five pregnant Koreans a month.
