Kazakhstani man robs restaurant in South Korea to return home

Tengrinews.kz – A 20-year-old Kazakhstani man robbed a restaurant in South Korea in order to raise enough money to fly back to Kazakhstan, but was apprehended by the police.
According to Gyeonggi Daily, the Kazakhstani citizen, identified as Mr. A, was arrested after breaking into an empty restaurant before it opened and stealing 490,000 won (approximately 191,000 tenge) in cash. At around 9:10 AM, Mr. A entered the restaurant through an unlocked window, taking 420,000 won from the restaurant's safe and an additional 60,000-70,000 won from a donation box for the underprivileged.
The restaurant owner arrived unexpectedly, shouted at the intruder, and saw him grab the donation box as he tried to flee. The owner pursued him, noticing a police patrol car nearby. Officers An A-Ram and Park Gwan-Min helped quickly apprehend the suspect—one officer chased after him, while the other blocked his escape route with their vehicle.
Mr. A had arrived in South Korea in 2024 for employment and worked as a day laborer on construction sites. He explained that he had been unemployed recently and committed the crime to afford his return to Kazakhstan, according to the report.
The further fate of the detained individual remains unclear. Tengrinews.kz has reached out to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

Earnings in South Korea have remained attractive to Kazakhstani citizens for years. In February 2023, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that around 7,000-8,000 Kazakhstani nationals continue to work illegally in South Korea.