South Korean Immigration issues prompt diplomatic concerns for Thai tourists

The South Korean Foreign Affairs Ministry has expressed regret over reports of its immigration officials denying entry to Thai tourists, causing diplomatic tensions between the nations, as conveyed by the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The annual meeting between the Thai permanent secretary of foreign affairs, Saran Charoensuwan, and the South Korean First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chang Ho-jin, was held amid a surge in the #BanTravellingtoKorea hashtag on social media platform X. The trend emerged as numerous Thai netizens, including influencers and singers, shared accounts of being turned away by South Korean immigration officers.

The hashtag gained traction following a traveller’s account, who, despite having a history of multiple visits, a return ticket, and confirmed tour and hotel bookings, was denied entry into South Korea. Her social media post on October 24 garnered substantial attention, amassing over 9.2 million views and 22,000 reposts, triggering a wave of similar stories from other affected Thai travellers.

In response, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin pledged to address the issue. Subsequently, Saran raised concerns during the meeting about the deteriorating perception of South Korea among Thais, reported Bangkok Post.

Chang expressed regret over these incidents and emphasised their non-reflective nature on individual perceptions or the diplomatic relationship between the countries. He acknowledged that some officers might have imposed stricter rules but clarified that South Korea does not possess specific policies to bar entry for Thai visitors.

To address concerns about illegal labour, the South Korean Ministry introduced measures, including a voluntary departure programme allowing illegal workers to return to Thailand without facing blacklisting. Another initiative, the Employment Permit System (EPS) quota, permits 4,800 Thai labourers to legally work in South Korea annually. Both nations agreed to conduct a consular strategic conference to address these issues further.

Simultaneously, Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn issued a directive to discourage Thai travel agencies from facilitating illegal work in South Korea. The Ministry estimates approximately 100,000 Thai labourers are working illegally in South Korea, in contrast to the 93,118 Thai workers authorized through the government’s EPS service.

In response, the Ministry established special task forces to screen illegal labourers at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. Additionally, a dedicated task force is actively working to suppress social media advertisements promoting undocumented jobs in South Korea, as outlined by Phiphat.

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