Foreign crime victims in Korea top 50,000 last year, raising concerns over damage to national image amid tourism boom

Foreign tourists receive guidance from a tour guide at the arrivals hall of Incheon International Airport. [Yonhap]
Foreign tourists receive guidance from a tour guide at the arrivals hall of Incheon International Airport. [Yonhap]

As the hallyu wave drives a surge in foreign visitors to Korea, fraud targeting those tourists has risen sharply as well.

Data submitted to Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Jun-hwan by the Korean National Police Agency show that the number of foreigners victimized by fraud in Korea nearly quadrupled in two years. The figure stood at 5,307 in 2023, climbed to 8,671 in 2024, and reached 19,907 last year.

A significant share of the cases involve what authorities describe as "hallyu scams." Perpetrators approach fans online, offer to purchase K-pop merchandise on their behalf, collect payment, and then disappear.

On X, formerly Twitter — a platform where idol group fans worldwide trade merchandise and interact — posts accusing Korean sellers of fraud appear frequently. On June 19, a Singapore user posted a thread beginning with the words "Korean scammer," attaching screenshots of conversations and writing that the person "did not send the items I ordered and, even when claiming to have shipped them, never provided a tracking number."

Of the five crimes against foreigners reported in connection with BTS's Busan concerts held June 12 and 13, three were fraud cases.

Beyond fraud, the total number of foreigners victimized by crime in Korea rose 81.7 percent in two years, from 28,048 in 2023 to 50,975 last year. Victims of financial crimes — including fraud and embezzlement — nearly tripled, from 7,475 to 22,215, making it the second-largest category after violent crimes such as murder and rape.

The rise in crimes against foreigners threatens to dampen a tourism industry that has been enjoying strong momentum. It could also erode the positive image Korea has built through hallyu, prompting calls for active measures to prevent such crimes.

"As more foreigners visit Korea drawn by K-culture, K-beauty and other trends, we must make concerted efforts to protect them from becoming crime victims," Kim said.

According to the Korea Tourism Knowledge and Information System, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea rose about 71.7 percent last year to a record 18.94 million, up from 11.03 million in 2023.


ikson@heraldcorp.com