3 South Korean tourists missing during road trip in US

By Hoang Vu March 23, 2025 | 08:35 pm PT

Visitors stand on a skywalk extending out over the Grand Canyon in Arizona, U.S. Photo by Reuters

Three South Korean female tourists have been missing for more than 10 days after going on a road trip from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas.

Lee Ji-yeon, 33, Kim Tae-hee, 59, and Kim Jung-hee, 54, were last seen on March 13 after visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona, CNN reported.

Authorities in Arizona, who are investigating the case, traced the GPS data from their rental car and discovered that the trio lost contact on Highway 40 while heading west from the Grand Canyon toward Las Vegas, a resort city famous for gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife venues.

Officials said that a snowstorm hit the highway on that day, leading to a 22-car crash that killed two people and injured 16 others. This raises the possibility that the accident may have been linked to the women's disappearance, The Korea Herald reported.

A search is currently underway.

They were initially scheduled to return home on March 17. After losing contact, their relatives in South Korea contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which reached out to local police for assistance.

No evidence regarding their whereabouts has been found so far.