Appeals by denied asylum seekers in South Korea rise sharply

By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- The number of appeals by foreign asylum seekers denied
recognition as refugees in South Korea has sharply risen this year, court
officials said Wednesday.
There were 99 such appeals as of the end of August, 10 times more than during the
same period of last year, according to the Seoul Administrative Court.
The Justice Ministry makes decisions on whether to grant asylum, and refugee
applicants can appeal with the Seoul Administrative Court within three months if
turned down.
The appeals tallied at seven in 2005, 21 in 2006, 22 in 2007, and 15 in 2008.
"Most of those who fail in their application tend to appeal because once they
apply for recognition as refugees, law enforcement is withheld until the case is
concluded," an official at the Justice Ministry said.
The increased numbers may also have to do with expedited processing with the
opening of a refugee department at the Seoul Immigration Office.
"As the immigration office augmented the refugee department this year, the
backed-up applications were processed in bundles," the official said.
South Korea signed onto the U.N. Convention and Protocol relating to the Status
of Refugees in 1992. Since then, 2,413 foreigners have applied for refugee status
and 145 were granted asylum. The first approval was in 2001 for an Ethiopian
male.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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