Ni Komang Erviani, Badung, Bali – Two South Koreans have been deported by immigration authorities after conducting an illegal film shoot in Bali. The foreigners, identified by their initials, YJC and NJ, had been shooting a reality TV show involving a total of 31 Korean nationals and one Indonesian national.
"YJC dan NJ were deported on Saturday on a Malaysia Airline flight heading for Seoul via Kuala Lumpur," I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport office head Suhendra, told journalists on Sunday.
YJC, a 49-year-old man, and NJ, a 33-year-old woman, are also blacklisted from entering Indonesia for several months. Suhendra explained that YJC and NJ had been found guilty of misusing tourism visas to work on the island.
"They violated the Indonesian Immigration Law and failed to show their permit for film production involving foreigners in Indonesia," Suhendra said.
Crew members for the Pick Me Trip in Bali production have been in Bali since April 21 for shooting in several places across the resort island. All crew members have been allowed to leave the country without being sanctioned.
Suhendra said the immigration authority started the investigation based on a report from the Culture Directorate General of the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry.
The producers had applied for a filming permit through the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul, but failed to follow up on a number of recommendations from the embassy. (dre)