The Tragic Case of Chandra Kumari Gurung: A Nepalese Woman Wrongfully Imprisoned in Korean Mental Hospital for 6 Years

The Shocking Misidentification That Changed Everything

In 1993, what began as a simple misunderstanding at a Seoul noodle shop would spiral into one of Korea's most shocking human rights violations. Chandra Kumari Gurung, a 36-year-old Nepalese migrant worker, found herself trapped in a nightmare that would last over six years. Working legally as a sewing assistant at a textile factory in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Chandra had come to Korea in 1992 on a legitimate short-term visa to earn money for her family back home.

The fateful day arrived in November 1993 when Chandra visited a local snack bar for ramen. Only after finishing her meal did she realize she had forgotten her wallet. Her limited Korean language skills prevented her from properly explaining the situation to the shop owner, who immediately called the police, assuming she was attempting to dine and dash. The responding officers, seeing her disheveled appearance and Asian features, mistakenly classified her as a vagrant Korean citizen rather than a foreign worker.

Within just one day, Chandra was transferred from Dongbu Police Station to Cheongnyangni Mental Hospital. The authorities never considered that this woman, who looked Korean but spoke broken Korean, might actually be a foreign national. This tragic oversight would cost Chandra the next six years and four months of her life.

Life Behind Bars: The Mental Hospital Nightmare

At Cheongnyangri Mental Hospital, staff members had no idea Chandra was Nepalese and even gave her the Korean name 'Seonmiya'. She was later transferred to Seoul Women's Protection Center and eventually to Yongin Mental Hospital. Despite her desperate pleas in broken Korean saying 'I am Nepalese' and 'My passport and visa are at the factory where I worked,' no one listened to her cries.

The hospital staff treated her as mentally ill, subjecting her to forced medication and restraints. For over six years, Chandra endured unimaginable suffering - her hands were tied, she was forcibly medicated, and she lived in constant fear and confusion. The medical professionals dismissed her claims about being Nepalese as delusions of a mentally unstable person.

During this time, Chandra's mother in Nepal, devastated by news of her daughter's disappearance, fell ill from shock and passed away in 2001. Chandra would never see her mother again, adding another layer of tragedy to an already heartbreaking situation. The Korean authorities had failed to investigate properly when Nepalese workers filed missing person reports about their colleague.

The Long-Awaited Discovery and Liberation

The truth finally emerged during a psychiatric consultation when a doctor began to suspect that Chandra might actually be Nepalese rather than mentally ill. In March 2000, after 6 years and 4 months of wrongful imprisonment, Chandra was finally released. The breakthrough came through the Nepal Community organization and Professor Lee Geun-hu from Ewha Womans University Hospital's neuropsychiatry department, who believed her story and helped verify her identity.

By the time of her release, Chandra had been officially declared missing in Nepal, and her mother had already died from the shock of losing her daughter. The Korean media extensively covered this shocking case, bringing national attention to the systemic failures that had allowed such a grave injustice to occur. The case highlighted serious issues with Korea's treatment of foreign workers and the lack of proper interpretation services in government institutions.

The Nepal Community had been searching for Chandra for years, even filing missing person reports with Korean police, but their concerns were largely ignored by Korean bureaucrats. This case exposed the cultural insensitivity and systematic discrimination that foreign workers faced in 1990s Korea.

Legal Battle and Financial Compensation

Following her release, Chandra pursued legal action against the Korean government for the grave injustice she had suffered. On November 5, 2002, the Seoul District Court's Civil Agreement Division 13 ruled in favor of Chandra, ordering the Korean government to pay 26 million won in damages. However, various sources indicate she ultimately received 28.6 million won through the lawsuit.

The legal victory was significant not just for Chandra but for establishing precedent regarding the Korean government's responsibility for protecting foreign workers' rights. The court recognized that the state had failed in its duty to properly identify and protect a legal foreign resident, leading to years of unlawful detention and psychological trauma.

Beyond the government compensation, Korean citizens and organizations, moved by Chandra's tragic story, raised approximately 18 million won in donations to support her. This grassroots fundraising effort demonstrated the Korean public's genuine remorse and desire to make amends for the injustice their fellow citizen had endured. The total amount Chandra received - combining legal compensation and public donations - was substantial by Nepalese standards of the early 2000s.

The Curse of Wealth: Harassment and Exploitation

What should have been a new beginning for Chandra quickly turned into another nightmare. The compensation money, while representing justice for her suffering, became a curse in Nepal's economic context. With Nepal's per capita annual income being less than $800 (approximately 900,000 won) at the time, the tens of millions of won Chandra received represented an enormous fortune.

News of Chandra's compensation spread throughout Nepal, attracting the attention of various opportunists and criminals. Scammers, distant relatives, and even Maoist rebels began targeting her, demanding money and threatening violence. The very people who should have supported her recovery instead saw her as a source of easy money.

According to reports, many locals viewed the compensation as 'easy money' rather than recognition of the tremendous suffering Chandra had endured for over six years in a foreign mental hospital. This attitude deeply hurt Chandra and those who understood the true cost of her ordeal. The harassment became so severe that it threatened her physical safety and mental well-being.

Disappearance and Current Mystery

Unable to bear the constant harassment and threats, Chandra made the difficult decision to leave her hometown and go into hiding. The woman who had already lost six years of her life to wrongful imprisonment was forced to abandon her community and live in secrecy. Even in Nepal, no one currently knows Chandra's whereabouts or what she is doing.

This disappearance represents the final tragedy in Chandra's story - even after receiving justice and compensation, she could not find peace in her homeland. The very money meant to help her rebuild her life became the reason she had to abandon it entirely. Her case serves as a stark reminder that justice and compensation, while important, cannot always undo the complex web of consequences that follow such profound injustices.

As of 2025, Chandra Kumari Gurung remains missing, her story serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable populations and ensuring proper interpretation services for foreign residents. Her case continues to be studied in human rights circles and has influenced policies regarding the treatment of foreign workers in Korea.

Legacy and Lessons for Modern Korea

Chandra's story was immortalized in director Park Chan-wook's short film 'Believe It or Not, The Case of Chandra' (믿거나 말거나, 찬드라의 경우), which was part of the omnibus film 'Six Perspectives'. This cinematic treatment helped ensure that her story would not be forgotten and continued to raise awareness about discrimination against foreign workers.

The case highlighted several critical issues in Korean society: the lack of cultural sensitivity toward foreign workers, inadequate interpretation services in government institutions, and the tendency to categorize people based on appearance rather than investigating their actual circumstances. These problems reflected deeper issues of hierarchical language attitudes and cultural homogeneity that made it difficult for Koreans to imagine that someone who looked Korean might speak a different language.

Today, as Korea continues to welcome foreign workers and immigrants, Chandra's case serves as a crucial reminder of the need for systemic reforms. Her story demonstrates how language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and institutional negligence can combine to create devastating consequences for vulnerable individuals. The case remains relevant as Korea grapples with increasing diversity and the challenges of building a truly inclusive society.