HALLYU or the Korean wave is sweeping the world with South Korean pop culture infiltrating every nook and cranny of the planet.
Malaysia is no different and has seen many more locals heading towards South Korea for their holidays.
However, not everyone is being made to feel welcome as a post by ‘cheap ticket hunter’ Pemburu Tiket Murah (@pmbrutiketmurah) on the X platform highlighted.
The poster was referring to a Facebook post by Sabreena Qistina on the Road To Korea page which recounts how a group of Malaysians travellers were denied entry into the country.
Kenapa susah sangat nak masuk Korea ni? pic.twitter.com/m5iBRNp0m2
— Pemburu Tiket Murah (@pmbrutiketmurah) December 1, 2024
Sabreena has shared that her friend was not allowed to fly even though her entry was approved by the K-eta (South Korea e-tourist pass) system as she was later “rejected by the AA (Air Asia) system”.
Upon arrival, a further two were denied entry as they did not have a locally appointed tour guide. She also revealed that another tour group which included children was denied entry although they were part of a tour party.
Their crime? Hiring a Malaysian tour guide instead of a Korean. Altogether, 25 Malaysians were sent home and to compound matters, had to purchase flight tickets at very expensive prices.
Sabreena foresaw that it would be very difficult to gain entry to South Korea even via a registered travel agency.
This was when more than one commenter cited Malaysians overstaying their visa and seeking illegal employment as the cause for this. One even suggested that Putrajaya implement a similar ruling to prevent tourists from not returning to their homeland.
One pointed to illegal fruit pickers as the root cause for this problem.
A few noted that there were many Koreans making Malaysia their home. One even suggested a tit-for-tat reaction.
Some even went as far as to accuse South Koreans of being racist towards Southeast Asian, hence the shoddy treatment.
Some mooted the idea of boycotting South Korea as a holiday destination, just as the Thais have done.
According to the Bangkok Post, the “#ban Korea travel” hashtag in Thai on the X platform was created last year and is still gaining support.
The hashtag has gone viral on the social networking site, with angry Thais accusing South Korean immigration officials of targetting and discriminating against arriving Thai tourists.
Many legitimate Thai tourists have had their holidays ruined and wasted hard-earned money in booking a South Korean vacation.
However, some refuted the poster’s claims by sharing personal experiences where they faced no issues gaining entry into the land of K-pop.
There is no doubt that South Korea has strict entry requirements. This is because many end up working illegally in South Korea as underscored by the number of illegal Thai immigrants in South Korea which has nearly tripled from 52,000 in 2015 to 157,000 in September last year, underscoring the challenges in managing this issue
It may be racist or unfair in profiling Malaysians in the same way but there is little one can do about it when the problem is caused by locals who end up working illegally there.
Perhaps, Malaysians should do what they do best – boycott.
After all, there are plenty of other destinations, not least local ones who desperately need a boost.
Local travel means there is no likelihood of being turned away at immigration. As one netizen pointed, the East Coast state of Terengganu offers a rising sun, interesting culture, beautiful state attractions and even a language that sounds foreign! – Dec 4, 2024
