"Sighs Over Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Response After Being Racially Discriminated and Assaulted by Assailant"

Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Consular Assistance Provided Immediately Upon Incident Report" Rebuttal

A Korean tourist traveling in Italy was assaulted with racial discrimination and robbed by assailants. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rebutted, stating that "consular assistance was provided promptly."

On the 22nd, JTBC reported that earlier this month, a man in his 20s, Mr. A, a Korean national, was assaulted by assailants while walking along Corso Como street in Milan, Italy. Eight assailants reportedly made racially discriminatory remarks and actions, attacking Mr. A and three other Koreans. After they were knocked to the ground, the assailants sprayed a substance containing capsaicin into their eyes and stole valuables worth approximately 3 to 4 million won, including mobile phones, before fleeing.

A man in his 20s, Mr. A, was attacked by an assailant while touring Italy earlier this month.
[Photo by JTBC]

Mr. A said on the broadcast, "They knocked me down, forced my eyes open, and sprayed (what is presumed to be a capsaicin-containing) spray into them, and another person took my mobile phone."

He continued, "They approached making monkey sounds from about 100 meters away. I was told that was a racially discriminatory act," adding, "They said 'Ni hao' and also 'ching chong chong' (a derogatory term mainly used in the West to belittle Chinese people)."

He stated that he later sought help from the consulate in Milan. However, he said he was told, "There is nothing we can do," and "The only thing they could do was to inform us of the locations of the emergency room and police station." Mr. A requested interpretation services from the consulate, but the consulate reportedly responded that "according to the Consular Assistance Act, interpretation services are difficult to provide unless it is an emergency situation."

After his story became known, criticism poured in online, with comments such as "Why is there no help when a citizen suffers a racially motivated crime?"

Subsequently, on the 23rd, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The Consulate General in Milan, immediately after receiving the report of the incident in the early hours of the 4th, contacted the complainant to assess the damage and listen to the extent of injuries, then provided guidance regarding hospital emergency rooms and police reporting."

(This photo is not directly related to the article.) [Photo source=Pixabay]

They added, "The consulate directly reported the complainant's damage to the Milan police, and on the afternoon of the day the incident was reported and again on January 12, they contacted the complainant to confirm their safety."

At a regular briefing that day, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lim Su-seok said, "We express our condolences for the unfortunate incident involving our citizen overseas," and added, "Our diplomatic mission staff promptly provided necessary consular assistance, including directly reporting to the relevant police station in the early hours of the day. Going forward, our overseas missions will continue to promptly provide necessary consular assistance regarding the safety of our citizens or in the event of incidents or accidents."

Regarding the claim that the consulate did not provide interpretation services despite Mr. A's request, the spokesperson clarified, "On the day of the incident, the Consulate General did not receive any request for interpretation services from the complainant."

Meanwhile, Corso Como is one of Milan's representative shopping streets. It is close to the subway and is a must-visit course for many tourists.