Population figures
Total country population
51,741,962
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
4,152
Asylum-seekers:
31,720
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
231
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
0
Country context
The Republic of Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula in Northeast Asia, bordered by China to the northwest, the Russian Federation to the northeast, the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait to the south and the Sea of Japan to the east. The refugee population in the Republic of Korea comprises individuals from a range of regions, notably the Middle East, South Asia and, more recently, Eastern Europe. These persons of concern reside predominantly in urban centres such as Seoul, Busan and Incheon, accessing housing and public services alongside the host population rather than in formal camps. In addition to refugees, the country is home to a small number of stateless persons, including children born to foreign nationals who are unable to obtain nationality documents.
Following ratification of the 1951 Convention in 1992, the Republic of Korea's Refugee Act— the first of its kind in Asia— was adopted in 2012, and a Refugee Division created within Ministry of Justice (MoJ). In 2019, the Republic of Korea pledged at the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) to strengthen its protection capacity, notably through establishing a division dedicated to administrative appeals, which was created in 2020, under the Korean Immigration Service (KIS) within the MoJ.
...In December 2021, MoJ presented a draft amendment proposal to the Refugee Act to the National Assembly. This proposal contained some concerning provisions, such as the introduction of an admissibility procedure for applicants who file subsequent applications. In April 2022, UNHCR submitted its comments to the National Assembly, commending the government's efforts to improve domestic asylum system, as pledged during the GRF, and suggesting some recommendations on how to achieve fair and efficient asylum procedures and enhance access to rights in Korea. In 2024, MoJ submitted another amendment proposal to the Refugee Act to the National Assembly, purporting to expand exclusion and deportation grounds for refugees and asylum-seekers. Discussions on the amendment of the Refugee Act are ongoing.
Since 2015, the Republic of Korea has operated a resettlement programme, initially a pilot, to resettle refugees, primarily from Thailand and Malaysia. Resettled refugees receive comprehensive integration support, including accommodation, language classes, and job-seeking assistance. The resettlement programme aims to support refugees’ successful integration into society, and an evaluation of the program was conducted by UNHCR in 2023 to assess its effectiveness. In Jan 2024, the Government announced plans to regularize the resettlement programme.
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