Extortion of 100,000 KRW for One Bottle of Valentine, High-End Lipstick Also Seized
Korean Travelers Complain Loudly, "Is the Korean Embassy Aware of the Situation?"
Recently renovated Clark Airport in the Philippines (left) and a post by a Korean visitor claiming to have paid an unfair fee here. [Image source=Philippine Tourism Board, provided by reader]
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Wook] Complaints are mounting that the abuse (commonly called extortion) by staff at the Philippine ‘Clark Airport,’ a popular destination for Koreans enjoying golf and other activities, has gone too far, prompting travelers visiting the area to exercise special caution.
In particular, despite numerous cases of unfair harm to their own nationals, dissatisfaction is pouring out regarding whether the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines are properly assessing the situation.
A 58-year-old Mr. A, who lives in Changwon City, Gyeongnam, and runs an interior design company in the Philippines, boarded a flight to Clark after about two years due to COVID-19. At the request of a local Filipino, Mr. A purchased a 30-year-old Ballantine’s at a duty-free shop, but upon arriving at Clark Airport, he encountered an absurd situation.
He was taken to an office next to the arrival hall by officials from the Philippine Immigration Office or Customs, who said he had to pay a fine for bringing in the 30-year-old Ballantine’s. Mr. A questioned, “It’s okay to bring in two bottles of 1.5ℓ liquor, so why is Clark Airport the only place enforcing this exception?” but the staff only repeated, “Choose either to have it confiscated or pay a fine.”
In a tense situation where communication was difficult, Mr. A had no choice but to pay 4,500 pesos (about 100,000 KRW) to leave the airport. Of course, he did not receive a receipt for the fine or penalty payment.
Immediately after returning to Korea, Mr. A informed others of this situation in comments on SNS posts related to overseas travel and urged caution.
Mr. A expressed frustration, saying, “I have no idea whether the Korean Embassy staff in the Philippines are aware of this situation, and if they do, what they are doing to protect their nationals.”
Our publication emailed the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines to inquire whether they are aware of the ‘abuse’ by Clark Airport staff against Korean travelers and what measures they are taking to protect their nationals’ rights. The embassy responded that “official interviews must be conducted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Local Korean community officials said, “Since it is a developing country, it appears to be the misconduct of some staff, and we understand that the Korean Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have summoned the airport chief, immigration chief, and customs chief in the Philippines to urge strict staff management to eradicate abusive behavior.” They added, “If you suffer unfair harm at the airport, you should identify the airport staff’s identity, location, and time, and report it to the embassy.”
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