Mari K-ETA

Mari K-KETA!

It was a planned trip, done many months ago.

Fly to Seoul on 14 Oct, reaching there 15 Oct in the morning, and then fly back to Singapore on 24 Oct.

In between, a 3-days getaway to Jeju.

All tickets booked; accommodation arranged. Just execution, and then see what to do on each individual days (some planned, some not)

So happily, we went down to Changi Airport T1 for our Asiana Airline for check-in.

Queue wasn’t very long, and in a short while, we were at the counter.

As usually, passing our passports to the counter staff. Then she asked us a question, “Have you done your K-ETA?”

Ohhh… what’s that?

Si mi lai eh?

It stands for Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation.

In short, it is like a VISA application, to allow you to get into Korea. Without it, they cannot check you in.

Then the counter staff said we can apply on the spot and gave us the link to do so. It can take ½ hour to 1 hour them the process to be done, if there is no issue with the information provided in the application.

Thus, we flipped out our mobile phones and start doing it at the side near the check-in counter.

Easy, but NOT SO EASY.

With the application, need to take photo of the passport and photo of your face in order to process, and also the address that you will stay in Korea.

Well, mobile phones have camera. Clicked the photos and tried to send.

REJECTED. The size allowed for photo submission is so small, the phones resolution will burst that limit.

It was very frustrating to do it. Took a long time just to do so.

Then in the midst of doing all these hassles, my wife told me I have my laptop inside my backpack.

WOW! I FORGOT I HAD A LAPTOP WITH ME!

Damn! With a laptop, it would be so much easier to resize the photo to lower resolution and size.

We had made calls to external help to people to get them to help resize photos even.

How stupid of me to forget my laptop!??! And the best thing, it is quite HEAVY!

Now, Karinna keeps reminding me of how I looked when she told me I had my laptop with me. :P

Anyway, an hour passed, and we manged to somehow send out the K-ETA application.

Then it is waiting game.

Half an hour passed, no email regarding the status for the K-ETA.

Then, the gate closed for the plane departure. 

Confirmed we cannot get into the flight that night, the only thing to do is to go back home.

The staff advised us to call the Airline ticketing the next day to see if they can provide help in terms of changing to another flight the next day or whatever.

The K-ETA application status was approved around 11pm. Well, good for use for next 2 years.

Thus, we went back home, dejected. Left our luggage as it is, then washed up to sleep.

Karinna and I couldn’t sleep, obviously. So, we were looking for what options we have to our planned trip. Zyan of course was soundly sleeping after a while back at home.

So, in the back of our mind, if Airline can re-arrange ticket for us the next day, would be ideal; but we know the next day’s flight is pretty much full according to the counter staff. Else, it would be the day after, meaning 2-days delay. 

In the morning, woke up and start looking for alternatives again.

In the end, we decided that it is either to book a new flight, if possible, else we will have to cancel all arrangement done for Korea trip and then re-do it at some future dates further down.

Then we sourced for flight options. Pretty exciting. Looking for flights in the morning and managed to find MAS flight (there were some others) that flies to Seoul on 15 Oct, with seats available!

Proceeded to book the flight, that flights to KL in the afternoon, transit for 5 hours, then fly to Seoul just before midnight, reaching Seoul around 7am in the morning next day.

Fine, looks good! Booked, and re-checked all luggage ready, and off we go after lunch at home!

This time, no issue with K-ETA anymore!

We’re all set again for the planned Korea trip! Hurray!

At KL Airport before boarding flight to Seoul

Somewhere in Itaewon