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| People are at work to clear debris from destroyed homes in the village of Korolivka, Kyiv region, on Thursday amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP-Yonhap |
By Lee Hae-rin
A Korean travel YouTuber was caught by Ukrainian border guards earlier this month after crossing the border of the country in an attempt to film the border area without permission, according to Korea's foreign ministry.
The foreign ministry raised the travel alert for Ukraine on Feb. 13 to "Level 4: Do Not Travel," the highest level in its four-tier system. According to the Passport Act, those violating the regulation could be subject to one year in prison or fined up to 10 billion won ($8,136), as well as having their passports confiscated or invalidated.
According to the ministry, the YouTuber claimed to have accidentally entered Ukrainian territory, April 8, while filming on the border between Ukraine and Romania.
"Someone was waving at me and I went over to film the person. It was the Ukrainian border guard," the YouTuber reportedly said. The YouTuber was then sent back to Romania with the help of Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Most of the border between Romania and Ukraine is in a field without clearly defined boundaries such as an iron fence or border wall, while a Ukrainian town is within walking distance.
The foreign ministry said it determined the border crossing was unintentional and decided not to take any legal action against the YouTuber.
