PETALING JAYA: Four Malaysians claim they have been unfairly denied entry into South Korea and were detained for nearly 10 hours before being deported.
In a post on Threads on Dec 5 which has since gone viral, user @iffahhannani_ claimed four out of nine members in her travel group were taken aside at Incheon International Airport's immigration counters and subsequently denied entry without explanation.
She claimed that they were in possession of "every single document" required such as the Korean electronic travel authorisation (K-ETA) permit, a complete itinerary for their trip, proof of confirmed accommodation bookings and even carried cash and credit cards.
Yet, she alleged Korean immigration officers declined to review their documents or check the status of their K-ETA – which allows Malaysians to stay for a period of 90 days – before detaining them.
She said their group landed at the airport in Seoul at about 5am but were held for almost 10 hours before being informed at 3pm that their appeal had been rejected.
"When we asked why we were deported, the only answer we got was: 'It's their privacy' (sic),", she said, adding that the officers were "rude, dismissive and unprofessional".
She said those affected suffered losses of RM4,000-RM5,000 due to flight changes, non-refundable stays and prepaid activities.
While four were denied entry, the other five from the same travel group – who carried identical documents and had similar bookings – were allowed into the country.
"The only difference? They were at a different (Immigration) lane, different counter, different officer," she said, adding that the process was "inconsistent, unfair and not transparent".
She also criticised airline staff handling their case for "pressuring" them to purchase immediate return tickets even while their appeal was being processed.
Many Malaysians took to the comment section to express concern and share similar experiences.
"No one should ever experience such discourtesy, disrespect and discrimination," wrote user @kastan_arts, urging the group to lodge a formal complaint.
Another user, @laura_boin, said Malaysians enjoy visa-free access and that the incident warranted escalation.
"Malaysia has diplomatic ties with (South) Korea. Complain to the max and press on!" she said.
User @kyrieazry said the group's ordeal echoed his own experience at, where he claimed he was singled out, repeatedly swabbed for drugs and had his belongings searched although he had been cleared for entry.
"Travellers with complete documents shouldn't be subjected to treatment that borders on profiling," he said.
In her post, the Malaysian traveller urged the Foreign Ministry to raise the matter with South Korean authorities and called for better support mechanisms for citizens facing foreign immigration issues.
"We hope South Korean authorities address this inconsistency. We hope Malaysian embassies improve their support system and no Malaysian goes through this," she said.
