South Korea records sharp rise in fraud targeting foreign nationals

Seoul (ANTARA) - The number of foreign nationals becoming victims of fraud in South Korea has almost increased fourfold in just two years, a member of parliament stated on Sunday, citing data from the National Police Agency.

The number of foreign victims of fraud rose from 5,307 in 2023 to 8,671 in 2024, before surging to 19,907 in 2025, according to Kim Joon-hwan, a member of parliament from the Democratic Party.

Many reported cases involve international fans of Korean pop culture, known as ‘Hallyu’, where scammers approach fans offering K-pop merchandise and subsequently disappear after receiving payment.

Among the crimes targeting foreigners reported on 12-13 June, during the K-pop group BTS concert in southeastern Busan, three out of the five reported crimes were cases of fraud.

Data shows that the number of foreign nationals victimised by all types of crime has surged by 81.7 per cent over the last two years, rising from 28,048 in 2023 to 50,975 in 2025.

The parliamentarian has called for increased efforts to prevent crimes targeting foreigners amidst the sharp rise in international tourists visiting South Korea.

According to government tourism data, the number of foreign visitors to South Korea has jumped by 71.7 per cent over the past two years, from 11 million in 2023 to 18.9 million in 2025.