One South Korean who went fishing in the Philippines was safely released after being kidnapped along with other foreigners for three days.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 5th, the South Korean who was kidnapped in the Philippines on the 2nd was safely secured by Philippine police on the morning of the same day local time.
The South Korean victim was kidnapped by 7 to 10 armed robbers while traveling by vehicle to the Nasugbu area, located about 90 kilometers southwest of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, with two Chinese and two Filipinos, a group of four, for fishing in the early morning of the 2nd local time.
The kidnapping incident became known after one of the Filipino drivers in the group was released on the road and reported it to a nearby police station.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the South Korean embassy in the Philippines promptly requested a swift investigation by local police after being informed of the incident and provided necessary consular assistance, including contacting the victim's family.
In the early stages of the incident, the kidnappers did not contact the victims' families or acquaintances, making it difficult for authorities to ascertain the identity or motive of the kidnappers.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "The New Recruit of our citizen who was kidnapped in the Philippines on the 2nd has been safely secured by Philippine police on the morning of the 5th," adding, "The health condition of our citizen is good."
The embassy in the Philippines announced on its website the same day that, "As the Philippine general election approaches in a week, there has been a surge in violent incidents due to the heated situation. Last weekend, a motorcycle blocked a vehicle driven by our citizen at night on a main road in Manila, followed by another motorcycle approaching the vehicle and threatening it with a firearm."
It continued, "Recently, there have been frequent incidents of armed robbery, deaths, and kidnappings targeting our citizens in Manila, Angeles, and other areas. Given the extremely deteriorating security situation, we ask our citizens to refrain from unnecessary travel during late hours, and if travel is unavoidable, to take special care."