SOUTH Korean nationals will face jail time and hefty fines for traveling to parts of Mindanao once they return to their country.
Korean Chamber of Commerce Philippines (KCCP) President Ho-ik Lee revealed this is being done to ensure the safety of their countrymen who are visiting the country.
“Our government has issued an advisory that they could not go to certain areas in the Philippines without prior permission,” Lee said, while adding that there are classifications their countrymen should follow for travel into different areas.
Specifically, Lee cited travel to Zamboanga, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao for Koreans will result to one-year imprisonment and close to $10,000 in penalty after they arrive back in South Korea.
According to Lee, the presence of the Abu Sayyaf still makes some parts of the region unsafe for travel.
The imposition of arrest and fines for violating travel restrictions is new for Koreans traveling to the Philippines.
Several years ago, the South Korean government had Level 3, or restricted travel, also in some parts of Mindanao. However, it only asked their nationals to pay extra attention for their safety and to seriously reconsider their travel plans.
Those who were also going to Level 3 areas were also being asked then to notify their embassy in those countries of their stay in preparation for any contingency.
In 2014 and 2015, Korean tourists have dominated arrivals with a growth rate of 13.97 percent, while cornering on the average 24.66 percent of the market.
However, during the first four months of the year, while South Korean tourists remained the biggest market, with 23.22 percent of total arrivals, the number has gone down by 6.50 percent, as compared to the same period last year.
“More Koreans are now going to Vietnam, while 10 years ago it was Indonesia,” Lee said.
Still, Lee said they are optimistic President Duterte can address the peace-and-order situation in the country.
“We hope the government will remove all crimes and drugs. We hope there will be peace in Mindanao. We will be very supportive of President Duterte,” Lee said.
Lee said criminality is the primary issue among Koreans in the country, while citing that, on the average, 28 Koreans are killed worldwide annually, with 10 of them here in the Philippines.
“There is an average of 10 Koreans killed yearly,” Lee said, while adding it includes street crimes and robbery.
Lee said Korean investments into the country will rapidly increase once safety and security concerns are addressed.
Image credits: Rodel Alzona