"Avoiding Seats When Seeing Asians: Citizens Cancel Overseas Trips Due to Anti-Asian Hate"

Korean YouTuber Faces Racism at UK Restaurant
"Canceled Trip Due to Racism Concerns"
January Overseas Travel Demand Down 49.7% Year-on-Year

Amid the spreading fear of the novel coronavirus infection known as 'Wuhan pneumonia,' foreigners and citizens wearing masks were moving through the departure hall of Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 28th of last month.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "Are you Chinese? Because of the virus..."

As anxiety over the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) spreads worldwide, some nationals living abroad are experiencing racial discrimination.

Since Wuhan City in Hubei Province, China, was identified as the origin of the novel coronavirus, not only Chinese people but also Asians with similar appearances have been subjected to discrimination. Some citizens have canceled overseas trips due to concerns about anti-Asian sentiment.

On the 3rd, YouTuber Gukabi, who lives in the UK, shared on her YouTube channel a recent experience of racial discrimination at a restaurant.

She said, "While I was eating, a staff member suddenly came over and asked, 'Are you Chinese?'" She replied that she was Korean, and the staff said, "I asked because I was worried about the virus."

She continued, "The staff also said, 'Anyway, Korea and China are very close, right?'" Upon hearing this, a friend who was with her felt upset and responded, "Korea and China may be close, but we live here."

A (28)-year-old studying language in France also recently experienced racial discrimination. He said, "I was at a cafe, and some people were staring at me. A foreigner sitting next to me moved away as soon as they saw me." A added, "These days, when I go out on the street, I feel the gaze directed at me, and it makes me uncomfortable."

Cases of direct racial discrimination are also being reported on social networking services (SNS) and online communities.

One netizen tweeted, "A friend in Paris is struggling with severe racial discrimination," adding, "Some people avoid taking the subway when they see an Asian person, and when lining up in front of a store to buy food, foreigners glare and avoid them."

On the afternoon of the 2nd, amid concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, passengers wearing masks were moving through Terminal 2 of Incheon Airport.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some citizens have decided to cancel overseas trips due to concerns about anti-Asian sentiment. University student B (23) said, "I was planning to travel to the UK, France, Italy, and other countries for the entire month of March. But given the current situation, I paid the cancellation fee and canceled the trip."

She added, "I’m scared because I don’t know what might happen at airports where people from all over the world gather, and I’ve heard that anti-Asian sentiment is severe abroad. I originally heard there was racial discrimination in Europe, but now I’m worried it might be even worse."

Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus, demand for overseas travel has sharply declined. According to Hana Tour’s announcement on January 3rd regarding 'Overseas Travel Demand in January 2020,' last month’s overseas travel demand (excluding 200,000 airline ticket sales) was about 187,000 cases, a 49.7% decrease compared to the same period last year. Overseas travel demand for February and March also decreased by 65.1% and 54.1%, respectively, compared to the same periods last year.

A Hana Tour official said, "Currently, almost all trips to China can be considered canceled. Many people are also canceling trips to Southeast Asia and other regions," adding, "In China, famous tourist spots have been closed to prevent the spread of disease. Therefore, normal events cannot proceed, and cancellation fees are being waived. Hong Kong and Macau are also waiving fees just like China."

Meanwhile, as racial discrimination controversies spread, UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres stated at a press conference on the 4th (local time), "We must prevent stigmatization of victims and innocent people in this situation," and "I urge strong attention to this matter."

He emphasized, "We must send strong international solidarity and support to China and all affected countries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.