The Korean community in Fiji is living in fear and has felt unsafe after continuously being mugged and robbed in Suva.
Korean Association committee member Min Kwan Jung during their meeting with the Fiji Police Force at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva last week said Koreans had been targeted by groups of men.
Mr Jung, in the presence of the Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho, brought to light six serious cases where Koreans were severely robbed and mugged.
However, he said, apart from these six cases there were others. “One happened a few months ago where two young men were walking down the streets in Raiwaqa when a group of men surrounded them and attacked them where they had serious injuries as well,” he said.
“Another case there was a Korean lady driving along the road in Nasese early in the morning, when she stopped for a while she was surrounded by a group of men who harassed her and stole her valuable items.
“There was a young lady in the Raiwaqa area – while walking some men grabbed her handbag off her, she was injured and her items were stolen.
“A Korean lady one night came to her Raiwaqa house and found out that a man was hiding inside her house, he attacked the lady.”
Mr Jung said money and jewellery had been stolen from houses belonging to Koreans. He said the most prevalent cases of violence were in Raiwaqa, Namadi Heights, Bayview Heights and around the Capital City.
“Whether it’s night or day, Koreans have been targeted and this happened just within a year. “There are countless other criminal cases.
“Many of us that live in Fiji are not only businessmen, we have diplomats, students and missionaries. “Many Koreans nowadays feel unsafe.”
Korean Ambassador to Fiji Young-kyu Park said this was concerning to the embassy.
“I’m glad that we have been able to raise this with the police and see how we can eliminate or prevent such cases in the future,” he said.
“I hope police and the Korean community can have this conversation regularly so we can better understand each other so that we can make contributions to the safety of Koreans here in Fiji with the Fijians.
“The crimes happening in the Korean community here in Fiji are a matter of concern for our embassy.
“My job as an ambassador is to try and improve the living conditions and also contribute to the criminal cases.”
Brig-Gen Qiliho said police had continued to re-evaluate their operations looking at the statistics of criminal activities in areas.
He reassured community members that police would review all the cases that were reported to them.
