Korean Tourist Racially Harassed and Robbed in Italy Faces Diplomatic Hurdles

A Korean man visiting Italy faced an unjust incident, but the government failed to intervene and help.

On the 22nd, JTBC reported on the incident experienced by a man in his 20s, Mr. A.

Earlier this month, Mr. A visited Corso Como Street in Milan, Italy, for sightseeing.

Suddenly, during his trip, he was assaulted by a group of black men.

Mr. A said, “They were making monkey noises to ridicule me. They started making those noises from 100 meters away… They said ‘ni hao’ and then also ‘ching chong,’ which is a derogatory term used mostly in the West to insult Chinese people.”

The group of eight assailants attacked four Koreans, including Mr. A, indiscriminately.

Mr. A said, “They grabbed my necklace. They knocked me down, opened my eyes, and sprayed something (guessing it’s capsaicin substance) in them, and another person took my cell phone.”

In the end, he was robbed of goods worth between 3 and 4 million won (approximately $2,500 to $3,300).

Mr. A sought help from the local consulate in Milan but received an absurd response.

Mr. A said, “(The consulate) couldn’t help us with anything. The most they did was provide us with the location of the emergency room and police station. They didn’t provide any interpretation service either.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, “Under the Consular Assistance Act, it is difficult to provide interpretation unless it is an emergency.”

With the help of a friend who accompanied him, Mr. A could file a report at the local police station, but he has not received any updates on the investigation for almost three weeks.