Indian content creator Sachin Awasthi has alleged that he and his wife were detained for 38 hours at Jeju Airport in South Korea despite carrying valid documents, and says the Indian government’s response has been deeply disappointing.
After his video about the incident went viral, the Indian Embassy in Seoul issued a travel advisory for Jeju Island, outlining visa waiver conditions and documentation requirements. However, it did not directly acknowledge his case.
Also read: Influencer Sachin Awasthi alleges 38-hour ‘jail-like’ detention in South Korea, China
On the latest episode of AI With Sanket, The Federal spoke to Awasthi about why he went public, what he experienced inside the detention facility, and why he believes there may be a broader pattern in the treatment of Indian passport holders abroad.
Why did you decide to go public with your experience?
When this happened in mid-December, just before Christmas, I was not even thinking about making a video. I was in my own personal mental struggle. I was recovering from the trauma, and my wife was recovering from her trauma.
After a few days and weeks, I realised I would at least tell my friends and family so that they are aware if they plan to go there. Then I thought if I am telling them, I should tell my audience as well. If you are planning to go there, just be prepared for the worst. This happened to me — the rest is up to you what you do with that information.
What was your reaction to the Indian Embassy’s advisory?
First of all, I was shocked that there was no acknowledgement of the case. Apology is a very far thing. They have not even acknowledged the case.
The advisory consists of old points. There is nothing new. Everybody knows these points. Indians are very responsible travellers. My wife, Deepshikha, and I research for one or two weeks before travelling anywhere.
There are vague points. For example, they say the airline will take you back on the next available flight. But there is no limit mentioned — two days, 10 days, 20 days? People were staying there for months.
It also does not say that if you want to leave early, you may be pressured to buy an expensive return ticket with your own savings, just for being a tourist.
Did you lack any mandatory documents mentioned in the advisory?
No, I did not lack any of these documents. I was even more prepared than this.
They forced me to carry cash. I carry cards because no one carries huge piles of cash these days. They made me show a bundle of cash everywhere I went. Still, they did not check it at immigration before denying entry.
They did not check my bank statements. They did not check what work I do. I was not there to work in their country.
Every Indian who travels abroad carries these documents. There is nothing new in that list.
Were you aware of the Jeju visa waiver restrictions?
Yes, I was aware. I knew you cannot travel to mainland Korea and that you cannot even have a layover in mainland Korea before entering Jeju. The same applies while leaving.
I booked flights with no layover in mainland Korea. I had no plans to go to mainland Korea. My bookings and return ticket were only for Jeju Island.
If I wanted to go to South Korea mainland, I would have applied for a visa. I read all the conditions before travelling.
Do you feel the Embassy’s response was more about schooling Indians than addressing your case?
Yes, I felt that. There was no acknowledgement and no clear statement that Jeju Island can detain you in such conditions. They wrote ‘holding centre’. It is not a holding centre. It is a detention centre. It is almost like a jail.
Some people say this is only one side of the story. They should ask Jeju immigration to release the other side.
Indians travel across the world. We know how to travel. Indians are responsible travellers in general.
What would you say to those who argue that detention centres in other countries are similar?
I was not travelling to see detention centres around the world. I travel to see the beauty of the country, not detention centres. No traveller is prepared to go to a detention centre.
Do you feel let down by the Indian government?
Yes, I felt let down. I have received many messages from people describing lack of support from Embassies. Some said that even if they picked up the phone, they would argue and say you must have done something wrong.
In my case, I tried calling twice. The first call was not picked up. The second had an automatic voice in Korean. At that time, we were very anxious and decided to focus on getting out of the place.
They told us if you buy an expensive ticket, you can go back. So we channelled our energy into that.
Do you believe this was a one-off incident or part of a larger pattern?
I believe there is a pattern.
If you search on YouTube or watch travel bloggers, many will say there is a problem with how Indians are treated at immigration. There is a particular look immigration officials give to Indian passports. They double-check and see Indians in a different light. I think most travellers will agree.
Have you been able to move on from the trauma?
I came out of the trauma a few weeks back because my job is to make people laugh. If I am not happy, I cannot make anyone happy. My wife and I had to come out of it.
But whenever I talk about it, the memories come back. Little things that happened there still affect me.
The lack of response does not re-traumatise me, but it is a disappointment. At the end of the day, we Indians do not expect much from our authorities. But yes, I am very disappointed.
What were the conditions inside the detention facility?
They were strict. They did not even allow us to sit together. We were scared. They told us to sit in separate halls.
There was a smoking room in between. We do not smoke, but we sat there most of the time so we could sit together.
They forced us to sign a paper saying they were providing proper accommodation and food. I was ready to pay for a hotel or even an airport lounge. They did not allow that, even after I bought the return ticket.
In China, it was worse. They did not even let me put my hand in my pocket where my phone was. My father was calling constantly. China was worse, but it is not getting as much attention.
(The content above has been transcribed from video using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.)
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