South Korean tourist detained for robbing taxi driver in central Vietnam

By Ngoc Truong   November 24, 2018 | 04:11 am PT
A South Korean tourist was caught in Da Nang after robbing a taxi driver at knifepoint.

Park Young Jun, 49, was detained on November 23 by Ngu Hanh Son District police in Da Nang city.

The South Korean got into a taxi driven by Vo Van Duc to travel from Hue City to a hotel in Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang.

On Vo Nguyen Giap Street in Da Nang, Park asked Duc to stop the taxi and then forced him at knifepoint to hand over two mobile phones worth around VND1.3 million ($56).

According to the police, when Duc managed to open the door and shout for help, Park fled the scene.

The driver and other residents chased the tourist until the police arrived and caught the suspect.

Park Young Jun had entered Da Nang in August on a 15-day visa exemption, but stayed on illegally.

South Koreans have become one of the biggest groups of visitors to Vietnam in recent years. In 2017, Vietnam welcomed 2.4 million South Korean visitors. In the first ten months of this year, the number was more than 2.8 million, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Da Nang has been a major draw for South Koreans visiting Vietnam. The country’s third largest city welcomed 1.35 million South Korean tourists in the first nine months of this year, a 55.89 percent increase year-on-year, according to Da Nang's Department of Tourism.

 
 
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