The growing tide of violent crimes against Koreans in the Philippines has prompted the Korean authorities to increase support for the Philippine police.
Kang Sin-myeong, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said that the KNPA was looking for ways to help the Philippine police investigate crimes involving Korean nationals in the Philippines. Attesting to the gravity of the situation, Kang met with his Filipino counterpart Ricard C. Marquez and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario in Manila last week to seek their cooperation in improving safety for Koreans.
The KPNA, which currently operates two Korean desks in the Philippines, one in Manila and the other in Angeles, where Korea Town is located, plans to set up additional Korean desks next year in five other cities that are popular among Korean tourists and that have large Korean expat communities.
Kang said that Korea would send about 50 crime scene investigation experts to the Philippines to train the local police. About 100 Philippine police officers from areas with large Korean population will also be invited to Korea for training. In addition, Korea has pledged to provide 130 police motor vehicles and 142 motorcycles over the next three years.
Thirty-eight Korean nationals have been killed in the Philippines in the last four years, including a man in his 70s who was found dead earlier this month after being held captive by Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group, since January. The kidnappers, who demanded $10.6 million for his release, were in negotiations with the police when the man died of an illness.
There is no sign yet indicating that Koreans are more frequently targeted than other foreigners in the Philippines. In fact, Korean police point to the growing number of Korean criminals making their way to the Philippines as a reason for the rise in crimes committed against Koreans. An important step in preventing crimes against Koreans in the Philippines would be to stop organized crime members from fleeing to the Philippines where they continue to engage in criminal activities and shady business dealings.
Some habits make Koreans conspicuous targets for crime. Koreans tend to carry a lot of cash, making them an attractive target. The so-called “ugly Koreans” who behave badly overseas can also become targets for hate-crimes.
In Hanoi, Kang signed an MOU with his Vietnamese counterpart on establishing a Korean desk in Vietnam and a Vietnam desk in Korea that will be charged with cases involving their nationals in the two countries. The Korean desk will be staffed by four Vietnamese police officers and two Korean police officers.
While prompt and effective police investigation and subsequent prosecution of the criminals would help deter crime, one should exercise extra caution when traveling or living in a foreign country, in a different culture. The Korean police dispatched to these countries should also be mindful of cultural sensitivities in working with their counterparts, bearing in mind that the objective of their mission is to cooperate with local authorities.
