The South Korean Embassy explained why a 37-year-old female government official was detained by immigration despite having registered with K-ETA and possessing proper travel authorization. The embassy warned social media not to distort facts, which could lead to misinformation.
A Facebook user, a 37-year-old female government official from Loei province, posted a complaint in the "Travel Korea Independently" group, saying she was denied entry at Incheon Airport without clear reasons. She had prepared well, registered with K-ETA, and had official travel permission. Her companion was also denied entry, ending their planned leisure trip at the airport. She said she likely would not visit South Korea again.
Regarding this matter, the Facebook page “Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand 주태국 대한민국 대사관” The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand clarified the incident following media reports about a Thai government official denied entry at Incheon International Airport. The embassy stated the following:
Reports indicated that despite having clear travel plans, the Thai official was not allowed to enter the country and was not given a clear explanation for the denial.
Upon fact-checking, it was found that the Thai individual mentioned, along with another Thai female companion, 1. did not have a hotel reservation when entering Korea, 2. when asked why, they said they planned to stay at the Korean boyfriend's house, but the person claimed as the boyfriend was not in Korea at the time, 3. the Korean man's mother, said to be the contact in Korea, was unaware of their travel and accommodation plans.
Due to unclear travel purpose, entry was denied. The investigation was conducted in Thai with a Thai interpreter, and the reasons for denial were explained in Thai.
Recently, individuals denied entry to Korea have spread false or incomplete information online, portraying Korean immigration negatively. Previously, reports claimed denial was due to inability to answer questions about “hotel wallpaper color or number of trees on hotel grounds,” but fact-checking showed no such questions were asked during immigration.
Concealing or distorting facts in this way may cause unnecessary concern among Thais wishing to travel to Korea and harm the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries. The embassy requests cooperation to exercise caution when receiving or sharing unverified information.