Refugee Issues and Legal Challenges in South Korea

Abstract

Refugees have emerged as a new social issue in South Korea, as many Yemenis arrived at Jeju Island and applied for refugee status in 2018. Refugees refer to those who could be persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or difference in political opinions and therefore are in need of “international protection” since they cannot be protected by or return to their country of origin. This paper attempts to gauge the current situation of refugee issues in South Korean society by looking at the changes in refugee policies in Europe that has suffered refugee-related problems earlier and the historical backgrounds of refugees created in the last century. On top of that, this paper examines the current situation of refugee policy in South Korea by exploring the current refugee-related laws and institutions in the country, and figures out whether sharply conflicting opinions on refugee issues are valid. Based on the abovementioned, the final chapter of this paper aims to present the direction and challenges for the resolution of refugee issues in South Korean society.