Ethiopian man was the 1st asylum seeker in Korea in 2001

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The Korea Herald/Asia News Network Bae Hyun-jung A sharply increasing number of foreigners are turning to the courts while seeking asylum in Korea, according to the Seoul Administrative Court Wednesday (October 7). As of the end of August, 99 refugee-related cases were filed, a 10-fold rise from the 9 cases during the same period last year, said court officials. The figure was also much higher than the past yearly records - one in 2004, seven in 2005, 21 in 2006, 22 in 2007 and 15 last year. The present law allows those who were denied asylum by the Justice Ministry to appeal to the Seoul Administrative Court within three months. "As Korea's reputation in the international society has improved recently, an increasing number of foreigners came to seek refuge," said a justice ministry official. The sharp rise may also be attributable to the launch of the refugee department, newly established at the Seoul Immigration Office in May. The department, exclusively set to support refugee-related issues, has sped up the application process for asylum seekers, the official explained. "Also, most asylum seekers tend to turn to the court when denied recognition, as the expulsion measures are to be deferred until all legal processes are over," the official also said. Korea signed and joined the UN Convention and Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees back in 1992. A total of 2,413 foreigners have sought refugee status in Korea and 145 were granted asylum by the justice ministry. The first refugee to be recognised was an Ethiopian man in 2001. "Acquiring refugee status in Korea is still more complicated than in other countries," said Thona Yiombi, a Congolese refugee who was granted asylum after six years of trying, 15 interviews and two denials.