A Taiwanese man has sought help from local media to return home, saying he has been stuck in South Korea for more than two months after he received a travel ban for allegedly taking photos of a South Korean woman without her consent. He accused Taiwanese officials of not providing legal assistance.
The man, 24, who preferred to be known as “Yoyo” (柚柚), wrote a letter to Taiwanese media and said that he booked a self-help trip to South Korea, arriving on Dec. 21 last year. He later went to Seoul’s Hongdae commercial district and took random street scene photographs, he said, adding that he later got in trouble for pointing his camera at a young woman, who thought he was acting like a pervert, and reported him to the police.
“I was very nervous, as I am unable to speak Korean. With assistance through a translation app, the police ordered me to show them the photographs I had taken, and said they would take me to a police station for further questioning,” Yoyo said.
Photo: AFP
“Due to the language barrier, I wanted to call my cousin for help. It led to misunderstanding, as police officers thought I would not cooperate, and they pushed me to the ground and handcuffed me, sustaining bruises on my face,” he said, adding that he was detained and released the following day, but was issued with an exit ban, pending an investigation.
Yoyo has remained in Seoul for more than two-and-a-half months, saying he has run out of money, while complaining that he has asked for help from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January, but was told his was a “small case” and there was no need to hire a lawyer, and that he could pay a fine after two months and then he would be permitted to leave the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that South Korea has enhanced protection for personal privacy and image rights, and has zero tolerance for sexual harassment or the taking of pictures without a person’s consent.
Several cases embroiling Taiwanese being arrested by South Korean police had taken place in recent years, on taking pictures of women without consent, and they were treated as offenders of sexual harassment, said MOFA officials, adding they have assisted in these cases, including providing a list of local lawyers if legal help is needed.
When needed assistance, Taiwanese visiting South Korea can call +82-10-9080-2761 in Seoul, and +82-10-4537-7961 in Busan City, they added.
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