Customs at Shenyang Airport Dispute Over Map in Diary
After Tearing Off Map, "Come Back to Collect It"
An airport in Shenyang, China, detained a Korean national because a map attached to his diary depicted Taiwan as a separate country.
On the 25th, Yonhap News reported a bizarre incident experienced by Mr. Jeong (72), a Korean who arrived at Taoxian Airport in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China, on a Korean Air passenger flight from Incheon Airport the previous morning. During the security screening process, Mr. Jeong was stopped by customs officers due to a small map he unknowingly carried.
At that time, customs officers demanded that Mr. Jeong open his trunk, then took out his diary and flipped through it, raising an issue with the attached map. The problem was that the "world map" attached to the diary depicted Taiwan as a separate country. The map, measuring 30 cm wide and 20 cm tall, was not clearly distinguishable to the naked eye, but Taiwan was labeled in bold letters as "Taiwan," and its largest city, Taipei, was marked in red letters.
The appearance of the map attached inside a diary of the same kind as the diary possessed by a Korean who was detained at Shenyang Airport in China[Photo by Yonhap News]
Upon seeing this map, the customs officers said, "Taiwan is depicted as a separate country, just like other countries, and Taipei is marked as a capital city, the same as other countries' capitals," adding, "This could lead to the mistaken belief that Taiwan, which is a province of China, is an independent country, violating the 'One China' principle." They then said, "We need to investigate," and took Mr. Jeong to an office and detained him.
Mr. Jeong protested, saying, "What am I supposed to do about a map attached to my diary? I didn't even know the map was attached," but the customs officers were unyielding. They also pointed out that the border markings around Xizang (西藏, Tibet) on the map were ambiguous. Angered, Mr. Jeong strongly protested and called the Korean community in Shenyang for help. After about an hour, the customs officers finally released him. They tore the map from the diary and issued a storage receipt, saying, "Pick it up when you return."
Chinese customs seized a map carried by a Korean entrant and issued a property custody certificate. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Mr. Jeong expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "I have been doing business in China for about 30 years, but this is the first time something like this has happened. If there is a problem, they should just confiscate the item, not detain me." He also criticized, "I can speak Chinese and was able to protest, but how bewildering and frightening would this be for a foreigner stepping on Chinese soil for the first time? Who would want to come to China?"
Korean Consulate General: "If customs measures are confirmed to be excessive, we will strongly demand prevention of recurrence"
China considers Taiwan as its own territory to be reclaimed. Therefore, it strictly regulates the distribution and customs clearance of maps that could be perceived as recognizing Taiwan as an independent country. However, detaining a foreign national upon entry for carrying such a map is considered an unusual and excessive measure.
The Korean Consulate General in Shenyang stated, "We are investigating the circumstances, and if the customs authorities' actions against Mr. Jeong are confirmed to be excessive, we will strongly demand measures to prevent recurrence." They added, "We will also caution travelers to China about carrying maps that could cause controversy upon entry."
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