To whom it may concern, especially H.E. Ambassador Taesung Park

This is to bring to your attention that many Indonesian students are facing devastating difficulties due to the abrupt rule from KVAC (Korean Visa Application Center, Jakarta) to close Student Visa applications for Indonesian students to further their studies in Korea this 2021 Fall Semester. We are fully aware of the rising COVID-19 cases in Indonesia along with the emergence of different COVID-19 variants, and we appreciate the South Korean government’s caution towards this matter. 

We are fully aware that our country’s COVID-19 cases have recently spiked to an all-time high, however, we beg for the understanding to let us get Student Visas to enter South Korea. Student Visa applications were closed approximately around the time when students have received their Letters of Acceptance. This abrupt decision resulted in a full halt to our apparent educational, and or career future. We have prepared for months to study in South Korea, we have taken tough decisions prior to leaving Indonesia, and most are at risk of losing their one and only chance to study abroad.

Furthermore, we would like to highlight multiple quintessential points that may have been glossed over by the party whose decisions play a particular role regarding our visa permits;

• Most of the students going to Korea have already been vaccinated
• The majority of students have highly prioritised this higher education program over other current matters, resulting in sacrifices happening in a multitude of aspects in our lives. Some have also skipped over job opportunities that might help their career, or their financial woes.
• A lot of money have been allocated towards the program and all the things regarding the advancement of the program, such as accomodation for the 14-days quarantine, flight tickets, insurance, expensive health-related tests, university tuition, and even dormitory payments--some with no possibility of a full refund. Many students have given their tuition fees to the hosting universities, due to visa and enrollment requirements in the following Fall 2021, and Spring 2022 Semester. Some students have already paid more than $4000 in money.
• Unlike most other countries’ visa applications that have closed with preparatory notice, no prior notification was given from the Korean Visa Application party, which in truth, genuinely blindsided most of us. Especially coupled with the fact that the timing was particularly uncanny, considering most of our Certificates of Acceptance were given to us roughly at the same time--or even after.
• Most of the Korean Universities do not allow international students taking part in online classes from their home country, which means that in spite of the fact that we have prepared for the inevitability of indirect-internet education, many of our students’ educational programs will be terminated by the Korean host Universities.

We know that all of us are currently facing a hard time, but we hope these issues can be taken into consideration in order for both parties to accomplish the same amount of gain. We are passionate to gain knowledge from South Korea; a country with a strict education system and highly motivated and educated society that is largely responsible for accelerating the explosion of high-tech state and rapid economic development. We have spent a year in preparation, and now we sincerely ask the concerned authorities to empathise, as students from Indonesia have wasted significant amounts of resources.

Furthermore, we would like to cordially request you to reconsider the granting of Student Visas for our peers, because we too, are confident that the 14-days quarantine requirements provided by the Korean Government, along with the abundance of PCR tests are already very effective measures to circumvent COVID-19 carriers, and also to curtail the chances of a sudden spike from happening.

At the very least, if student visas are not capable of being granted, we would like to request that us Indonesian Students can participate in the online classes from the comfort of our very homes.

We genuinely believe that our attempt to communicate will not be disregarded. With tender patience, we wholeheartedly await for the response from the concerned parties regarding this predicament. 

Sincerely,

Indonesian Students