Vietnamese student's death exposes gaps in Korea's support for bereaved families

For families overseas, the death of an international student in Korea can mark the beginning of another ordeal.

The recent killing of a Vietnamese student in Busan exposed the difficulties bereaved families can face when dealing with multiple institutions across borders, raising questions over whether Korea has a clear and coordinated system to support them after serious incidents.

The victim, 20-year-old Vo Thi Thuy Vi, was found dead in Busan's Jung District at around 1:15 a.m. Friday.

According to police, a Vietnamese man allegedly broke into her home, threatened her with a weapon and bound her while attempting to steal cash. Police said he strangled Vi after she resisted and then fled the scene.

Her family learned of Vi's death through a phone call from her friends later that day.

Since then, they have sought assistance from the university and Vietnamese diplomatic authorities on a range of issues, including traveling to Korea, repatriating Vi's body, obtaining information about the investigation, recovering her personal belongings and securing legal assistance.

In a formal request to the university, the family asked for a single point of contact to provide regular updates, underscoring the difficulties of navigating multiple institutions from overseas.

"No one has been giving us information," Vi's mother, Nguyen Thi Duyen, told The Korea Times. "At this point, I am extremely anxious."

Vi came to Busan in March 2025 to study Korean, before beginning a degree in international economics and worked part-time while studying.

Duyen said she grew concerned early on Aug. 26 after receiving a missed call from Vi, followed by messages from her phone demanding 30 million won ($21,900). After repeatedly trying to reach her daughter, Duyen learned from one of Vi's acquaintances around noon that she had been killed.

The family struggled to obtain information about the case while navigating the paperwork required to travel to Korea.

Vi's parents, farmers living in a remote community in Vietnam's Central Highlands, had to prepare and certify multiple documents to travel. Some had to be resubmitted because copies were deemed unclear.

While the family had to complete the necessary travel documentation, they received assistance from Vietnamese authorities, diplomatic missions and the university.

Local authorities in Lam Dong province helped the family obtain passports, which were issued Saturday. The Consulate General of Vietnam in Busan played a central role in coordinating the response, relaying official information from Korean authorities to the family and contacting the Korean diplomatic mission in Ho Chi Minh City to request expedited visa processing. Vietnamese diplomatic missions in Korea also sent an official note in support of the request.

The university assisted with the application on its end and the visas were issued Monday.

"Our priority at the moment is helping the family enter Korea as quickly as possible," a university official said.

A week after learning of Vi's death, her family finally arrived in Busan on Wednesday, after completing the necessary documentation and flight arrangements.

Korea has procedures to facilitate the emergency entry of bereaved family members from overseas, including expedited screening for short-term C-3 visas in coordination with diplomatic missions and immigration assistance upon arrival.

In Vi's case, the Ministry of Justice issued the visas the same day the applications were filed. But expedited visa processing does not necessarily translate into immediate entry. Coordinating with relatives abroad, preparing the required documents and arranging flights can still add days to the process during an emergency.

"If the family wishes to remain in Korea for an extended period to handle matters related to the case, we will promptly facilitate the necessary extension of stay," a justice ministry official said.

Even after arriving in Korea, the family faces another significant challenge: the cost of repatriating Vi's body to Vietnam.

The family has asked for financial and administrative assistance to bring her remains to Vietnam, making clear that cremation or burial in Korea is not an option. Duyen said the family was told the repatriation could cost at least 1.3 billion Vietnamese dong ($49,000) — money far beyond what they can afford.

"I almost collapsed when I heard that because it was an enormous amount of money for our family," she said. "There is no way we could afford it."

The university said the cost of repatriating Vi's body and other related procedures would be discussed with the family after their arrival in Korea.

Navigating Korea's criminal justice system presents another hurdle, with the family seeking access to investigative records, including forensic findings, CCTV footage and phone data, as well as assistance in securing legal representation.