December 1992 Acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol
February 2001Recognized its first refugee
July 2013 Enforced the Refugee Act of Korea
December 2015 Launched a pilot resettlement program for refugees
Refugees & Humanitarian Status Holders
As of 31 July 2022, a total of 12,508 first instance applications and administrative appeals are currently undergoing. This number does not include asylum applicants undergoing court proceedings or subsequent applications and appeals. Since 1994, 3,711persons have been recognized as refugees or granted humanitarian status by the government of the Republic of Korea.
The majority of the persons holding humanitarian status are from Syria and Yemen.
Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees