Position Paper

Delegate Name: Ihab Khan

Committee: Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Topic: Improving the Livelihoods of Refugees and Economic Inclusion of Refugees
Country: Republic of Korea

Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict,
violence, natural disaster, or persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political
stance, or association with a particular social group. An estimated 84 million people globally
were forcibly displaced by mid-2021. Despite the substantially increased numbers of migrants
and refugees worldwide in recent years, insufficient attention has been paid to addressing their
protection including economic, physical and social needs.

South Korea began accepting refugee applications in 1994 after signing the 1951 Refugee
Convention and 1967 Protocol, in 1992. In 2013, it became the first Asian nation to adopt a
refugee law, which led to a sharp rise in asylum seekers. Through the introduction of the
comprehensive Refugee Act, any person who intends to obtain refugee status as a foreigner
within the Republic of Korea may apply for refugee status with the Minister of Justice by
submitting a written application to the head of the local immigration office or foreigner-related
office. A Refugee Committee was established in the Ministry of Justice for further deliberation
over rejected applications. Applicants are allowed to stay in Korea during the appeal
procedures and are provided with refugee applicant status. Furthermore, the Minister of Justice
can grant humanitarian status to an applicant despite the rejection of their refugee application.
3,618 people have been recognized as refugees or granted humanitarian status by the
government of the Republic of Korea (as of 30 April 2022).

The Republic of Korea strives to establish itself as a normative power by adhering to

humanitarian conventions. Such aspirations can be measured by how it treats refugees,
particularly North Korean refugees. Despite refugees coming from Syria, Yemen, Myanmar,
and Ethiopia, and asylum applicants originating from Russia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, China,
India, Pakistan, Egypt, and Bangladesh. North Korean refugees constitute a majority in South
Korea. As of December 2020, over 33,000 North Korean refugees had resettled in South Korea
(according to the South Korean Ministry of Unification).

For a country that was in the process of developing just decades ago, South Korea's policies
and refugee acts are exceptionally generous. The majority of North Korean refugees can be
elucidated by highlighting their shared heritage, similar cultural backgrounds and common
language. Additionally, the South Korean government offers generous resettlement benefits to
help North Koreans integrate into South Korean society, which include the 12-week adaptation
training, $6,000 – $32,400 in settlement benefits, $13,300 –$19,100 in housing subsidy, and
free education in public schools and universities among other benefits.

Korea has taken the conflict surrounding refugees’ livelihood and their economic stability
seriously, not just nationally but internationally as well. To share the burdens of refugee-
hosting countries and communities, the Republic of Korea has undertaken several projects to
improve their education and health infrastructure and provide livelihood support in many
refugee-hosting areas like Turkey, Jordan, Tanzania, etc. The Korean government also
provides multi-year funding to different organizations working on humanitarian programs in
protracted refugee situations and has increased its contributions to the Central Emergency
Response Fund (CERF) and Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs).

Countries should encourage nonprofit organizations to improve support and services to

asylum-seekers and refugees in areas such as legal aid, accommodation, employment,
education and health services as well as peaceful coexistence and refugee empowerment. To
address the psychosocial needs of the refugee community, Korea also recommends weekly
counselling sessions. Additionally, Korea stresses having an international independent
monitoring committee that plays the role of binding pressure on the government to implement
refugee laws.

It is desirable for the Republic of Korea to modify and consolidate previous international
agreements relating to the status of refugees and to extend the scope of and the protection
accorded by such instruments by incorporating new elements into the agreement. Despite the
efforts made, the government recognizes there is more to be done to improve its legal
instruments.

Bibliography:
1. https://www.unhcr.org/50a4c17f9.pdf
2. https://www.unhcr.org/events/conferences/5a099d417/position-paper-republic-korea-
thematic-discussions-three.html
3. https://migrants-refugees.va/country-profile/south-korea/
4. https://reliefweb.int/report/republic-korea/republic-korea-fact-sheet-june-2022
5. https://www.crossingbordersnk.org/destinations-of-north-korean-defectors