The search for missing Korean tourist Jae Hyeon Kim has shifted to Westport, Nelson police said today.
Jae Hyeon Kim, 25, arrived in New Zealand for a backpacking holiday in February 2003 but failed to depart as scheduled that December.
His family reported him missing in May 2004
and he has not been heard from since then.
Mr Kim's last known address was Alan's Backpackers, Westbrook Tce, Nelson, which he left on September 8, 2003. Police have now found he made an eftpos transaction at a Westport bar and cafe on September 29, 2003.
Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne McCoy, of Nelson police, said police believed Mr Kim may have been working and living either on organic farms or local businesses in the area in order to save money and improve his English-speaking skills.
Mr Kim was believed to be travelling with a Taiwanese girlfriend at some point, but she was not with him when he went missing.
Police were still trying to identify her, but she is not believed to be missing.
He said police were in touch with Mr Kim's family in Pusan, with the help of a local interpreter and staff at the Korean consulate in Auckland.
They have also used Korean television in an effort to find friends he may have communicated with during his time in New Zealand.
Mr Kim is described as 183cm tall and of thin build.
Police were interested in any information from members of the public who may have had contact with Mr Kim in the Nelson area in 2003.
- NZPA
