RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul, is coordinating with South Korean authorities to handle the case of an Indonesian citizen from Madiun, East Java, who left a tour group while visiting the country.

Director for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Heni Hamidah said the government regretted the individual's actions, as they constituted an abuse of South Korea's group-tour entry facilitation scheme for Indonesian visitors and a violation of the country's immigration regulations.

"We deeply regret the actions of the Indonesian citizen, who misused the travel facilitation provided for entry into South Korea. The individual has also violated South Korea's immigration regulations," Heni said during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' press briefing in Jakarta on Thursday, July 23, 2026.

Heni explained that South Korea's entry facilitation scheme for Indonesian group tourists came into effect in May 2026 following its announcement during the Indonesian President's visit to South Korea in April. The policy will remain in effect until December 2026.

Under the scheme, Indonesian travelers joining organized tours through registered tour operators are allowed to enter South Korea under simplified procedures for visits of up to 15 days.

According to Heni, the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul has received information regarding the individual's whereabouts and is coordinating with the relevant South Korean authorities to determine the next steps.

She said the Indonesian citizen has now overstayed the permitted period of stay, and the case will therefore be handled in accordance with South Korean immigration laws and regulations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to monitor developments in the case and coordinate with relevant authorities should similar incidents occur in the future.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Vahd Nabyl Mulachela stressed that the incident was an isolated case and does not reflect the behavior of the vast majority of Indonesian tourists visiting South Korea.

"This case does not represent the majority of Indonesian tourists. We hope it will be understood as an isolated incident that needs to be handled jointly and does not reflect Indonesian tourists as a whole," Nabyl said.

He added that Indonesia hopes the case will not affect bilateral relations with South Korea, particularly in the tourism sector, or disrupt the implementation of the current group-tour entry facilitation policy.

Previously, the case of an Indonesian citizen, identified only as F, from Madiun, East Java, who allegedly disappeared during a group tour in South Korea, drew public attention after the social media account @sarjanabackpacker shared the story on Threads.

According to the account, F said he wanted to look for shoes in Seoul's Myeongdong shopping district before he went missing. The account added that there had been no suspicious behavior from F prior to the incident.

As a result of the incident, the travel agency said its reputation had been damaged and that it had been fined Rp125 million (approximately US$7,700). In May 2026, South Korea introduced a temporary visa-free entry program for Indonesian group tourists.

Under the scheme, Indonesian tour groups consisting of at least three people are allowed to enter South Korea without a visa for stays of up to 15 days, from May 28 through the end of December 2026.