This Year, 19 Koreans Killed Abroad... Incidents and Accidents Also Surge

Increase in Damages Alongside Resumption of Overseas Travel
7,294 Overseas Koreans Affected in First Half of This Year

In the first half of this year (January to June), the number of Koreans killed overseas reached 19, surpassing last year's total of 17 victims. Additionally, with the lifting of COVID-19 lockdowns, overseas travel has surged, leading to a significant increase in incidents and accidents abroad.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Park Hong-geun, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 24th, 7,294 overseas Koreans suffered damages such as loss of property, theft, and traffic accidents in the first half of this year. This represents a 44.4% increase compared to 5,050 victims in the first half of last year.

On July 28, international travelers at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 were completing their check-in procedures. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The number of overseas Korean victims of incidents and accidents was 13,235 in 2018 and 16,335 in 2019, but sharply decreased to 9,113 in 2020 and 6,498 in 2021 due to COVID-19. However, with the resumption of overseas travel last year, the number rose significantly to 11,323. This year, as domestic and international exchanges have become more active than last year, the total number of victims for the entire year is expected to exceed that of the previous year.

Looking at the types of victims in the first half of this year, loss of property was the most common with 2,478 cases. This was followed by theft (1,220), fraud (446), traffic accidents (345), assault and injury (277), missing persons (207), and distress incidents (92). Regarding violent crimes, there were 64 robbery victims and 38 cases of kidnapping and confinement. The number of murder victims in the first half was 19, surpassing the total number of 17 victims for the entire last year.

Among countries where incidents occurred, Vietnam had the highest number of victims in the Asia-Pacific region with 633 cases, followed by China with 581 and the Philippines with 523. In the Americas, the number of victims was 589 in the United States, 181 in Latin America, and 143 in Canada. The total number of victims in Europe was recorded at 2,414.

Assemblyman Park said, "With the Chuseok holiday lasting six days, overseas travelers are expected to surge, so special attention to security is necessary," and added, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Police Agency should cooperate to further enhance the professionalism of consular assistance to ensure that no Korean citizens suffer unjust treatment abroad."

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