South Koreans who entered Nepal on tourist visas have been arrested by local police after participating in a religious program.
According to Nepalese media, local police recently arrested 24 South Koreans at a Christian educational institution in the eastern Morang district.
It was confirmed that they entered Nepal on October 6 and participated in a religious training program at the institution, which is operated with the support of a South Korean missionary group.
They were detained after circumstances were discovered during the investigation showing they directly participated in religious classes and proselytizing activities, contrary to their tourist status.
In Nepal, where more than 80 percent of the total population is Hindu, the law strictly prohibits tourists from engaging in religious proselytizing, education, or participating in related programs.
Local administrative authorities investigated them on October 10 local time for violating foreigner surveillance guidelines and transferred their custody to the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu to initiate deportation procedures.
In reporting on the incident, Nepalese media publicly released the names of both the organization that led the missionary activities and the South Koreans who participated in the program.
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that immediately after becoming aware of the incident through the Embassy in Nepal, it has been communicating with relevant authorities and providing necessary consular assistance.
However, the ministry added that because the investigation is currently underway, it is difficult to disclose specific identities or detailed information.
(Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong, Video by Ryu Ji-su, Design by Yang Hye-min, Produced by SBS Digital News)
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