South Korea’s Refugee Policies: National and Human Security Perspectives

Abstract

Contrasting human security with national security, this chapter examines South Korea’s policies toward global refugees and North Korean defectors, an effective indicator of regime instability. It is argued that the security and welfare of individual persons, which are the very reason for the existence of a sovereign state, must be prioritized in human security practice. Policy development in this regard is essential for a middle-power nation. Some policy considerations are provided for the examination of refugee responses from the human security perspective, particularly regarding how to make stakeholder support more comprehensive and how to promote bottom-up engagement and empowerment.