Koster's Response to South Korea Issuing Travel Warning for Bali

The South Korean Embassy has issued a warning to its citizens planning holidays on the Island of the Gods. This comes amid an increase in criminal cases in Bali involving foreign tourists.

However, upon hearing the news, Bali Governor Wayan Koster chose to be brief in his response. Media crews asked for his comments on the matter after he attended a plenary session at the Bali DPRD on Monday (6/4/2026).

“Enough… Enough…,” Koster said curtly.

Media then followed up, noting that the travel warning has drawn attention to Bali due to the recent rise in crimes against foreign tourists.

However, Koster also refused to comment. He chose to walk past the reporters and head to his official vehicle.

“Enough,” Koster said again briefly.

Separately, the Head of the Bali Tourism Office (Dispar), I Wayan Sumarajaya, assessed the matter as a form of accountability by each country’s representatives abroad.

“This is normal. They issue warnings as a precaution so that their citizens are always careful. It is the responsibility of the country’s representatives towards their citizens,” Sumarajaya said when contacted on Monday.

In response, Dispar assured that it would increase coordination with security apparatus to create a more conducive atmosphere. “We will immediately coordinate with security parties to jointly maintain the security and comfort of tourists while in Bali,” he added.

As reported by detikTravel, in an official statement, the South Korean Embassy urged tourists to heighten their vigilance following the increase in serious crime cases targeting foreigners in several Bali tourist areas. The warning was released via the embassy’s official website on Wednesday (1/4/2026) titled ‘Security Warning on Preventing Serious Crimes’.

“Due to the recent increase in serious crimes targeting foreigners in popular tourist areas such as Jimbaran, Seminyak, and Canggu in Bali, we ask citizens visiting Bali to pay attention to their personal safety,” the South Korean embassy wrote, as quoted from Chosun.com on Saturday (4/4/2026).