Jakarta. The Transportation Ministry has officially suspended Asri Damuna, the Head of the Sangia Nibandera Airport Operator Unit Office in Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra), following a viral video of him harassing a female tourist from South Korea.

The Ministry's spokesperson Adita Irawati said the dismissal was made to facilitate the investigation into the case.

"The Ministry deeply regrets the viral video involving Asri Damuna, the head of the Sangia Nibandera Kolaka UPBU office. He has been suspended to facilitate further investigation and actions," she said in a statement on Friday.

Adita added that the case had drawn the attention of Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi. She mentioned that Budi had instructed the truth of the viral news to be immediately investigated.

"If proven true, it means that the individual failed to uphold the dignity as a civil servant (ASN). There may be internal sanctions related to this matter," she explained.

In a recent viral video, a man was seen harassing South Korean YouTuber Jiah at a restaurant in Manado, North Sulawesi. The video, posted on YouTube on May 5, showed two men inviting Jiah, who was vlogging, to join them at their table for a meal. Jiah accepted the invitation as she was heading to Bunaken.

During their conversation, the man, identified as Asri, could be heard inviting Jiah to his hotel, which she promptly declined. Despite the incident, they continued to dine and chat together.

Although Jiah did not report the incident as harassment, she titled her video "Befriending with Uncles." However, many netizens found Asri's behavior inappropriate and called for action from the Ministry.