Japan Reports the Most Cases...
Vietnam Leads in Assault, Injury, and Traffic Accidents
Over 60% of Thefts Occur in Italy, Spain, and France
Vietnam, a popular destination for Korean tourists, has been identified as the country where the highest number of overseas Koreans have suffered from assault, injury, and traffic accident incidents.
On October 4, Yonhap News reported this, citing data received by Assemblyman Yoon Hu-deok of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, titled "Status of Overseas Korean Incidents and Accidents."
According to the data, a total of 17,283 Koreans were victims of incidents and accidents overseas last year. By country, the highest numbers were reported in Japan (2,348), Vietnam (1,767), the United States (1,193), China (1,133), and Italy (1,042).
In particular, Vietnam recorded the highest number of assault and injury cases. By year, there were 88 cases in 2022, 133 in 2023, and 119 in 2024, ranking first for three consecutive years. Looking at last year alone, 20.1% of the 591 overseas Korean victims of assault and injury worldwide were in Vietnam. Traffic accidents also showed the highest numbers in Vietnam for three consecutive years, with 45, 121, and 120 cases during the same period.
The types of incidents varied by country. In Japan, lost property cases were the most common, with 1,805 victims. In China, fraud cases stood out, with 100 incidents. In the United States and Europe, theft was the most prevalent. Notably, thefts in Italy, Spain, and France accounted for over 60% of all overseas Korean theft cases worldwide.
Assemblyman Yoon emphasized, "Travelers must always check the contact information and location of the Korean diplomatic missions in their destination countries to prepare for emergencies," adding, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic missions must pay special attention to provide prompt and systematic consular assistance in the event of an incident."
Meanwhile, as more young people go abroad with working holiday (tourist employment) visas to improve their foreign language skills or for short-term employment, there has been a corresponding increase in cases where they are exposed to incidents and accidents.
According to data submitted by Assemblyman Kim Sangwook of the Democratic Party of Korea from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of working holiday visas issued rose from 6,532 in 2021 to 37,262 last year, a 5.7-fold increase. During the same period, the number of victims of incidents and accidents increased from 33 to 191, and the number of perpetrators rose from 1 to 19, representing 5.8-fold and 19-fold increases, respectively.
Working holiday visas were most frequently issued for Australia (16,709), Canada (8,467), Japan (7,444), and the United Kingdom (1,693). Australia also saw the highest number of both victims and perpetrators, with 104 victims and 9 perpetrators reported there last year.
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