Indian Influencer Sachin Awasthi Alleges 38-Hour Detention In South Korea And China, Says He Was ‘Treated Like A Criminal’
Indian social media influencer Sachin Awasthi has claimed that he and his wife were detained for nearly 38 hours across South Korea and China and denied entry during an international trip, alleging they were treated like “criminals” and “blackmailed” into purchasing a return ticket at nearly ten times the standard price.
Awasthi shared his account in a detailed Instagram post, saying the ordeal began shortly after they landed on Jeju Island, South Korea. “We landed in Jeju Island, South Korea excited and ready for our trip. Within a few hours, everything changed. We were denied entry and taken to a holding area. No proper explanation just told to wait. And we waited,” he wrote.
He described the detention facility as resembling a jail, with no sunlight and no access to the outside world. According to Awasthi, authorities provided no clarity on what was happening, and he alleged that officials pressured them into booking an expensive return ticket. “They blackmailed us to booking a really expensive return ticket,” he stated.
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The situation reportedly continued during their transit through China, where Awasthi said they had no access to their phones, little food, and limited water. He described the sleeping arrangements as the “worst” and noted that even restroom visits were monitored by a police official wearing a bodycam. “Even the use of restrooms was monitored with a police official who had a bodycam and went to washroom with us,” he wrote.
Awasthi clarified that he was not sharing the experience seeking sympathy, but to highlight what he called a violation of basic dignity. “Immigration decisions are their authority. But they did not have any right to treat us like CRIMINALS,” he said.
He also issued a word of caution to fellow travellers: “Travel looks glamorous online. But sometimes, things change in a few hours and test you emotionally in ways you never expect.”
Awasthi said both he and his wife were “mentally drained” through the ordeal and said they “just wanted to get out safely.”