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French tourist dies on bus to Wando County

Published: 02 Sep. 2025, 19:22 Updated: 02 Sep. 2025, 19:27

An ambulance is parked outside the emergency room of a university hospital in Daejeon on April 17 in this photo unrelated to the story. [KIM SEONG-TAE]

A French woman traveling in Korea died on an intercity bus, police said Tuesday.

According to the Gwangju Seobu Police Precinct, the 22-year-old woman experienced breathing difficulties on a bus bound for Wando County, South Jeolla, after departing from the Gwangcheon Bus Terminal in Gwangju’s Seo District at 9:13 a.m. Monday.

The bus driver reported the emergency to the authorities.

First responders who arrived at the scene found the woman unresponsive and transported her to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Witnesses said she began showing symptoms of breathing difficulties shortly after boarding.

The woman was a university student in France who entered Korea on a tourist visa on Aug. 21 and had been traveling alone. The reason she was headed to Wando is unknown, police said.

Authorities have notified the French Consulate in Korea and informed her family. Police are investigating the cause of death, including whether she had any pre-existing medical conditions.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]