Man from Madiun Allegedly Absconds During Tour in South Korea

A tour participant from Madiun named Femas (22) is suspected of absconding whilst taking part in an open trip to South Korea. He was reported missing after asking permission to look for shoes in the Myeongdong district of Seoul.

Citing detikJatim, on Friday (17/7/2026), Wiky, Marketing Manager of Berani Backpacker, said the group initially departed from Jakarta on 27 June 2026. On the first night of the tour, on 28 June 2026, all participants were given free time after the tour itinerary had concluded.

At that time, around five to seven participants together with the tour leader (TL) went for a stroll around the Myeongdong area. At that location, Femas then took his leave, saying he wanted to look for shoes.

According to Wiky, Femas was actually placed in the same room as the tour leader. When the TL had returned to the hotel, he sent a short message asking Femas to go straight to the room, as the door had deliberately been propped open to make it easier to enter.

“We waited until morning, but he never came back at all. His WhatsApp messages went from one tick to sometimes two ticks, but he never replied,” he said.

Initially, the travel agency still thought Femas had got lost or encountered some difficulty on the way. The tour leader, together with the team on the ground, combed the area where Femas had last taken his leave and tried to contact him repeatedly.

“By the fourth day, our local team went directly to the South Korean police to file a report. However, the report was rejected because there was no element of a criminal act. He (Femas) was categorised as having separated himself voluntarily, not as a missing person,” Wiky explained.