Thirty-eight Vietnamese tourists go missing in Jeju Island

In South Korea, 38 Vietnamese tourists have been reported missing after arriving on Jeju Island. The tourists were part of a larger group of approximately 90 individuals who landed on the island on November 14, 2024. Officials indicated that these tourists vanished during the final leg of their itinerary before their planned return to Vietnam. The remaining members of the group successfully boarded their flight back home while the missing individuals have sparked concern among authorities with reports being filed about their disappearance. Jeju Island operates under a visa waiver program allowing tourists from specific countries to visit the island for up to 30 days without needing a visa. However, these visitors are restricted from traveling to other locations in South Korea unless they have a valid visa. The visa waiver program provides an opportunity for people from 64 countries to enjoy Jeju Island’s attractions without the burdens of visa applications; however, as the visitors are only allowed to stay until December 14, they risk becoming illegal tourists after that date. The Jeju Immigration Office is actively searching for the missing tourists, reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from hotels and surrounding areas for any clues regarding their whereabouts. An official from the Jeju Immigration and Foreign Affairs Agency commented that they are analyzing the CCTV data to trace the last known locations of the disappeared tourists and plan to organize a specialized team to apprehend those who overstayed their visas. This case is a reminder of past incidents where travelers took advantage of Jeju's visa-free entry, with multiple reports of tourists overstaying or attempting to stay illegally in previous years. In a similar case, last year, 55 Thai tourists were also reported missing on Jeju Island, suspected of seeking illegal employment within South Korea. Such occurrences highlight ongoing challenges and potential exploitation of the visa waiver program, raising questions about the safety and management of tourist entries into South Korea.