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India issues advisory after influencer 'detained' at South Korea's Jeju Island: Know key rules
Awasthi alleged that he had a “traumatising” experience on landing at Jeju Island. He said he and his wife were taken to what appeared to be a detention centre.
A recent incident involving an Indian content creator - Sachin Awasthi - who alleged in a now-viral video that he was detained in South Korea's Jeju Island - sparked an advisory by the Indian embassy in Seoul, listing documents to carry when attempting to enter the South Korean island province.
In a video shared on his Instagram and YouTube on Sunday, Sachin Awasthi alleged that he had a “traumatising” experience on landing at Jeju Island airport. He said he and his wife were taken to what appeared to be a “detention centre”.
“There was no sunlight, no glass to drink water… it looked like a jail barrack…,” Awasthi had said in the video, also adding that a person was abused there and told “I hope you died in that cell, you will have your last breath in Korea”.
India's travel advisory
Days after the video went viral on social media, sparking concerns, the embassy of India in Seoul said in an advisory that it “gets to hear about inconveniences caused to Indian travellers or denial of entry/repatriation upon arrival in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea under visa waiver scheme for travel to Jeju Island.”
A waiver allows Indians short-term tourism access to Jeju without a pre-arranged visa, but it prohibits onward travel to mainland Korea. “Entry under the Jeju visa free facility is permitted strictly for short term tourism. Final admission into the Republic of Korea is determined solely by the immigration authorities at Jeju International Airport in accordance with Korean law. The visa waiver scheme does not guarantee entry,” the Indian embassy said.
To minimize such the inconveniences, the embassy said Indian nationals planning to visit Jeju Island under the same scheme should mandatorily carry the below documents:
All travelers must carry printed copies (not only mobile screenshots):
Confirmed return air ticket
Hotel reservation covering entire stay
Detailed travel itinerary (day-wise plan)
Proof of sufficient funds (recent bank statements / international cards / forex)
Passport valid for at least 6 months
Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
Contact details of accommodation
Passengers unable to clearly explain their travel plan could be at the risk of entry denial, it said.
‘Financial preparedness’
The advisory stated travelers should be able to demonstrate adequate financial capacity for the duration of stay including for daily expenses, accommodation payment and transport arrangements.
“Immigration authorities may ask related questions to which answers consistent with tourism objectives would be expected from the visitors,” it said.
Interview at immigration
Upon arrival, immigration officers may conduct an interview. Please answer clearly, truthfully and consistently while remaining calm and cooperative. Further, know your itinerary and accommodation details. Failure to satisfy the immigration officer may result in denial of entry.
“Please understand the conditions of the visa waiver program. Jeju visa waiver does not permit travel to mainland Korea. Attempting to leave Jeju for mainland Korea without a visa is illegal. Overstay or unauthorized activity may result in future travel bans,” the advisory said.
If entry is refused, the passenger will be returned on the next available flight of the same airline, it said. Under that situation, depending on flight schedules, temporary stay in a holding facility may be required.
The Embassy of India, Seoul is not in a position to overturn the decisions of the RoK immigration authority in matters relating to entry into RoK, it said. “It will seek RoK authorities' assistance in providing reasonable support to Indian nationals in the holding facility. Indian nationals may please reach out to the Consular Wing of the Embassy through the designated telephone numbers.”
The advisory listed contact details - +82-2-792-4257, Ext 407 (Operator) during office hours; the designated email address, cons.seoul@mea.gov.in; emergency contact number: 010-9356-4188 - which Indian nationals can use in case of immigration issues.
Awasthi's video on Instagram was captioned: “Detained for 38 hours in South Korea (Jeju Island) & China.”
“We landed in Jeju Island, South Korea excited and ready for our trip. Within a few hours, everything changed. We were denied entry and taken to a holding area. No proper explanation just told to wait. And we waited,” it said.
"Hours passed without clarity. They kept us in their detention centre (it was similar to a jail with no sunlight & no access to outside) and also gave us jail food.
Nobody told us what was going to happen. They blackmailed us to booking a really expensive return ticket.
Later, during transit through China, it continued. More waiting. More supervision. Communication was restricted. No use of phone and no food and limited water. sleeping conditions were worst. Even the use of restrooms was monitored with a police official who had a bodycam and went to washroom with us.
By the time we were told we would be sent back, we were mentally drained. The return ticket cost almost 10x the normal price. At that moment, we didn't have the energy to argue. We just wanted to get out safely.
I'm not sharing this for sympathy or drama. Immigration decisions are their authority. But they did not have any right to treat us like CRIMINALS.
Travel looks glamorous online. But sometimes, things change in a few hours and test you emotionally in ways you never expect.
I've shared the full detailed story on my YouTube channel, what happened, why it happened, and what you should know before traveling."
