13 Vietnamese missing in South Korea

After visiting the South Korean island of Jeju, 13 Vietnamese ‘tourists’ are now missing, Agence France Press reported Tuesday.

Immigration officials are currently investigating the possibility that the Vietnamese visitors are actually illegal immigrants. According to the immigration office, a total of 18 Vietnamese have disappeared in Jeju this year.

Last year, South Korea deemed Jeju a special autonomous province and allowed tourists to stay without a visa for up to one month. “There have reports that an increasing number of Southeast Asian tourists end up being illegal entrants after entering the island on tourist visas,” a police official remarked.

South Korea is a very attractive alternative for workers in poorer countries such as Viet Nam. In June, 20 Vietnamese and Indonesian crewman disembarked from their ship and attempted to swim to the Korean border.

For the full article, click here.