S. Korean tourist shot dead by robber in Guam

A South Korean tourist has been fatally shot by a robber in Guam, the U.S. This incident marks the first known case of a South Korean tourist dying from a gunshot in Guam, raising concerns among the Korean community and tourists.

According to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, a South Korean male tourist, Mr. A, visiting Guam, was shot by a robber on Thursday and was taken to the hospital, but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries." Local media, quoting the Guam police, reported that a shooting occurred around 8 p.m. on Thursday (local time) at Gun Beach in the Tumon area, leading to the death of a South Korean man in his 50s.

As reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Guam media, Mr. A was attacked by an assailant while walking with his wife on a hill near Gun Beach. The assailant reportedly shot Mr. A while fleeing after snatching his wife's handbag. The local police are currently pursuing the attacker. "Immediately after the incident, we dispatched a consul to the hospital through our local consulate (Korean Consulate Office in Hagåtña) to provide consular support,” a ministry official said.

It is known that the couple was attacked while returning from the famous 'TaoTao Tasi' dinner show at Gun Beach. According to the Korean Association in Guam, the path from the show venue to their accommodation is typically dark, with a jungle behind it, making it a recognized dangerous area. “It's unclear if they walked to the beach, but it would have been quite dark if they hadn’t taken a car,” a representative from a local travel agency commented. “The security situation has deteriorated recently, whereas it wasn't like this in the past.”

The Korean Association in Guam attributes the worsening public safety in Guam, following the tourism industry's decline due to COVID-19 and last year's Typhoon Mawar, as a possible factor in this incident. “Following the shooting, the Korean Association is considering forming a task force to propose measures to the Guam Visitors Bureau and police to prevent such incidents from happening again,” said Lim Hong-soon, president of the Korean Association in Guam.


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