The Hanoi Department of Tourism will coordinate with the municipal police and relevant agencies to clarify the case regarding 59 Vietnamese visitors who ran away during their trip to Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Tourists visit Jeju Island (Photo: Yonhap)

After hearing about the incident, the department contacted relevant agencies to identify businesses and individuals involved in the organisation of the tour.

The disappeared tourists are among 155 Vietnamese who went on a six-day trip to the Korean island starting on January 11.

RoK authorities have found and deported 26 people so far, while the 33 others still remain missing.

The holidaymakers went to Jeju Island on a tour organised by five travel firms Hoang Viet Travel-Freight-Investment JSC, Vietrantour, Hanoi Red Tours, New World Travel and Tam Vuong Trading Service and Tourism JSC. Of them, only Tam Vuong had no visitors run away.

There are three individuals involving in the incident, including two who have illegally conducted tourism business activities in the past, and a female worker of the HCMC office of the RoK’s Woori Club Tourism Development Co., Ltd, which operated the tour.

The Hanoi Department of Tourism suggested the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism instruct competent agencies to investigate the operation of Woori Club Tourism Development Co., Ltd’s HCMC office.

It has also issued a memo to travel companies in Hanoi, warning them to take tourist management procedures seriously and follow relevant legal regulations.

According to Do Dinh Hong, Director of the department, many Vietnamese holidaymakers have tried to illegally stay in Northeast Asian and European countries during their overseas vacations, directly affecting the tourism sector of Vietnam.

Against this backdrop, the municipal tourism department requested travel companies increase communication activities in order to raise public awareness of the issue, and preserve and promote the image of Vietnamese people to international friends.

Tour operators were urged to scan the profiles of all vacationers, who have booked outbound tours, especially to Northeast Asian nations like Japan, the RoK and Taiwan, and to Europe.

They were also requested to cooperate with experienced and prestigious foreign partners in organising outbound tours.

Ministry warns illegal VN workers in RoK

The labour, invalids and social affairs ministry's (MOLISA) department of overseas labour (DOLAB) has warned overseas workers about the risks of working illegally in the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Deputy head of the department Tong Hai Nam said at a press conference on Tuesday that if overseas labourers worked illegally in the RoK, they would not be protected by RoK laws if they were abused, worked without payment or if the payment was lower than the regulated amount. They would not enjoy unemployment subsidies and health insurance, he said.

In addition, illegal residents are liable to be fined a maximum of 40 million won (US$32,900) or sentenced to a year in jail.

The warning came as RoK media reported that 28 among 59 Vietnamese who went missing on Jeju Resort Island in the RoK, had been found by RoK authorities as of Saturday.

The missing people were part of a group of 146 Vietnamese tourists who had travelled from Ha Noi to Jeju Island on a six-day trip.

Nam said the information that the missing people were trying to stay in the RoK to look for jobs had not been confirmed.

An investigation into the incident was under way, he said.

Since 2012, MOLISA has taken measures to cope with the high rate of Vietnamese workers overstaying illegally in the RoK after the expiry of their contracts.

There are 60,000 Vietnamese labourers working in the RoK, while 35 per cent or 15,000 Vietnamese workers are overstaying illegally in the RoK under the Employment Permit System framework.