A 24-year-old man’s first trip to South Korea was cut short when he was deported on Jan 20, despite providing proof of income in Malaysia. The man, who had traveled to Incheon Airport, was denied entry and interrogated for four hours before being sent back home.
The man was confident he met all requirements for entry, including the Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA), return flight ticket, itinerary, and cash. However, he was arrested and asked to leave the country as he failed to meet a requirement in Article 2 of the Korean Immigration Act.
Sharing the man’s ordeal, his elder sister @_modah claimed that they did prepare an itinerary and proof of accommodation.
After being interrogated for four hours, the man was asked to take the morning flight back home. His case was not unique, as another traveler, Sabreena Qistina, was also recently deported for not being able to recall the travel itinerary and lacking enough Korean currency.
Sabreena said she and her friends were traveling with a tour package from South Korea and blamed the tour guide who accompanied them from Malaysia for their troubles.
However, the Facebook post that detailed Sabreena’s experience drew criticism, with some users blaming irresponsible Malaysians for creating the situation due to their illegal stay and work in South Korea.
Malaysians can enter South Korea visa-free for a maximum of 90 days but need to apply for K-ETA before traveling, which costs 10,000 Korean Won (approximately RM35) and is valid for three years.
In 2022, Malaysia was among the top 10 countries with the highest number of tourists in South Korea, with around 100,000 arrivals.
Last October, a TikTok user’s experience of being denied entry also gained attention, as she was turned away due to the lack of physical stamps in her passport from the Malaysian Immigration Department.
