M'sian Claims South Korean Immigration Sent Her Home Because She Was "Not Prepared Enough"
She said that the immigration officer asked her for her old passport.
By Tamara Jayne — 13 Oct 2023, 11:18 AM
Holiday plans are always exciting when they become a reality.
However, sometimes things don't go as expected, as was the case for this Malaysian traveller.
In an unfortunate turn of events, TikTok user @beeemyfweeen revealed that her recent trip to South Korea was abruptly cut short at the immigration checkpoint.
In the video, she shared that she was going to South Korea with her best friend for the first time, and that it was her first trip since the pandemic, so she had to renew her passport for it.
They had prepared the itinerary and printed out all the necessary documents, including the flight tickets, hotel bookings, and the K-ETA, a mandatory electronic travel authorisation form for visa-free countries.
When she arrived at Incheon Airport, the immigration officer asked her for all the usual documents that she had already prepared.
However, he also asked her why she had no history of travelling.
After explaining that she had renewed her passport, he asked about her old one. She replied that she had not brought it.
Then, she was escorted by another officer for additional questioning. Following the interview, she explained that the immigration officers informed her and her friend that they were "not prepared for this trip" and were instructed to wait in a room.They had arrived at Incheon Airport at 5pm but were held in the waiting room until 9pm without any updates.
At 9pm, they were told to go back to Malaysia and had their passports taken from them, so they could not go out to buy any food. Their flight home was only at 7.30am the next day.
Taking the unfortunate experience in stride, she shared that no matter how well-prepared you are or no matter how hard you fight for your rights, these things can still happen
The woman mentioned that she has safely returned home, and the money she had converted to South Korean won will now be saved for her future wedding.
She also clarified that their flight back home was taken care of because they had already purchased round-trip tickets for their South Korea journey.
After her video was posted, many people commented, with some asking if it's protocol to bring your old passport along even after renewing it, and others stating that it's a requirement
Meanwhile, several wondered what would happen to those who are flying for the first time with a brand new passport
