A South Korean man was shot dead by a robber on the bustling streets of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
According to local media GMA News and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines, a South Korean man identified as A was shot by a robber around 7:45 p.m. on the 7th while walking on Malate District Street in Manila. He was taken to a hospital but died.
According to closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the scene, as A was walking down the main road and entered an alley, four robbers on two motorcycles got off and followed him. A, who lived in the area, is said to have been shot by two robbers during a struggle as they attempted to pickpocket him.
The four suspects fled on the motorcycles they had parked after rushing out of the alley. CCTV captured a woman accompanying A running to a nearby convenience store to seek help. Local police are investigating the suspects and the motive behind the crime.
Malate District is considered a commercial and tourism hub in Manila. Due to poor security in the Philippines, serious crimes such as murder and robbery against Korean expatriates and tourists often occur.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 38 South Korean nationals were victims of homicide in the Philippines from 2015 to the first half of last year, accounting for 44% of the total 86 victims in Asia and the Pacific. This number is more than double the combined total of Japan (13) and China (5).
The number of robbery victims in the Philippines was 102, overwhelmingly higher than in China (19) and Japan (3). Last year, a South Korean man was severely injured during a pickpocketing incident at a popular tourist spot in Angeles, northern Luzon, and later died in the hospital. In 2016, a South Korean businessman, the late Ji Ik-joo, was kidnapped and killed by three active-duty police officers.
The embassy urged local expatriates not to walk in sparsely populated areas and to refrain from going out at night if possible. It advised that in the event of theft or robbery, excessive resistance could lead to greater harm, so individuals should respond calmly; bags should be kept close to the body and held tightly; and if possible, bags should be kept in front to avoid becoming targets of crime.