The Diverse Experiences of Refugee Groups in Northeast Asia
Due to the sensitive geopolitical situation of Northeast Asia, the borders of its respective nation-states are difficult to cross unless authorized by the government. Cross-border flows not sanctioned by the government, such as the movement of North Korean refugees or illegal migrant workers, have nevertheless been a visible aspect of human migration in the region since the turn of the millennium. However, recent conflicts in places located beyond Northeast Asia have led to a previously unwitnessed type of human movement into the region, involving displaced people from Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Russia.
Due to a series of circumstances – some of which are historical and path-dependent, and others of which are purely of chance – it is in South Korea that these displaced people have found refuge; the number of those who have settled in the other nation-states of Northeast Asia is negligible. 1
The contributions to this issue of News from Northeast Asia address the diverse experiences of refugee groups in South Korea. In “It’s Taking a Whole Village to Raise Children: A Focused Study on the Afghan Refugees in Ulsan, South Korea,” Gi Yeon Koo of Seoul National University Asia Center presents the case of the Afghan ‘people of special merit.’ Koo notes how the lessons learned from the public’s reactions to Yemeni refugees were considered in the process of accepting refugees from Afghanistan. Presenting a stark contrast to the case of the Afghan refugees is that of the refugees from Ukraine, who are mostly ethnic Koreans. Their experiences are examined in detail by Ka Young Ko of Seoul National University Asia Center in “The Hospitality and Limitations of South Korea for the Ukrainian Refugees.” Finally, the issue of “Why Don’t Russian Relokants (War Immigrants) Choose South Korea as their Place of Permanent Residence?” is addressed by Vadim Slepchenko of Seoul National University Asia Center. The contents of, and issues raised by, these pieces can be used to understand the wider socio-political and socio-economic outcomes and consequences that can occur for refugees across Northeast Asia.
lhong Ko, Assistant Professor, Seoul National University Asia Center. Email: mahari95@snu.ac.kr