Earlier in the day, the embassy said on Twitter that 16 Russian nationals had been denied entry into South Korea after they failed to prove to border control officers that their visit was for tourism purposes.
"Every day, one to two people [from Russia] are denied entry to [South Korea]. But a group of 16 people at once - it's a rare thing, and every time it triggers a resonance on social media", the embassy said.
— Russian Embassy 🇷🇺 (@RusEmb_Korea) July 15, 2019
According to the embassy representative, South Korean border control officers suspected the 16 Russian nationals of a visiting for illegal work purposes because "they failed to name a single South Korean landmark site, their return plane tickets were reserved but not paid for, and they intended to live not in hotels but at friends' places or in hostels in the hinterland".
He added that the embassy is following the situation and will provide appropriate repatriation assistance to these people, who at the moment are being held in a designated area for inadmissible passengers and are expected to return home by Tuesday.
In 2013, Russia and South Korea established a visa-free regime for short-term visits with a 60-day maximum stay.
