A South Korean tourist was injured in December 2025 after being assaulted by a group of locals while traveling in Sapporo, sparking criticism of what many view as an inadequate response from the South Korean Consulate General in Sapporo.
According to Dong-A Ilbo, the tourist said he was walking near a subway station when he was approached by five assailants who demanded money and valuables. When he refused, the group assaulted him.
The victim managed to flee to a nearby restaurant, where staff members assisted him in contacting local police.
He sustained multiple facial injuries, including three fractured teeth and nerve damage. Due to a lack of funds, he initially returned to South Korea but later traveled back to Japan to cooperate with the investigation.
The victim claimed that the South Korean Consulate General in Sapporo told him it was “unable to intervene” and declined to actively provide consular assistance. He also alleged that the consulate refused his request for interpretation services during police investigations.
Eventually, a South Korean professor teaching at a local university volunteered to provide interpretation after learning about the case through social media.
In response, the consulate told Dong-A Ilbo that it did not believe there was an immediate need to request police-provided interpretation, as the victim appeared to be able to communicate through a travel companion.
However, it was later revealed that the friend had already returned to South Korea and had limited Japanese proficiency.
The victim is undergoing dental and psychiatric treatment.
“How can citizens trust a state that tells victims to find their own interpreters and leaves them to fend for themselves?” he told Dong-A Ilbo.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
