Fire authorities work on drainage as torrential rain flooded a residential area in Seogwipo, a city on the southernmost island of Jeju, on June 30, 2018. Weather authorities have issued a downpour warning for most of the island, except for some parts in the west. (Yonhap)
I find it interesting that at a smaller level South Korea is going through the same refugee issue that the United States is:
Supporters, right, of Yemeni asylum seekers in Korea stage a rally in front of Sejongno Police Box in central Seoul, Saturday, urging the government to allow the refugees to stay, while protesters, left, in Gwanghwamun Plaza call for the law to be changed to block “fake asylum seekers.” Yonhap
Two rallies with clashing views on refugees were held over the weekend, in the latest development in the ongoing controversy concerning Yemeni asylum seekers, an increasing number of whom came to Jeju Island over the past few months to escape the ongoing civil war that began in 2015.
Hundreds of protesters varying in age from teenagers to over 50 gathered at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, demanding the government abolish a visa waiver program under which foreigners can stay for up to 30 days being given a visa on entry. Nationals from all but 11 countries suspected of being sponsors of terrorism are eligible for the program implemented in 2002 to promote the economy and attract foreign spending on the resort island.
Protesters chanted slogans including “Korean people’s safety first,” “We want safety,” “Abolish no-visa policy” and “Who is this country for?”
The seemingly harsh sentiment was met by a more compassionate group nearby, where about same number of rally participants demanded Korea be more embracing towards the displaced. “Protests organized by anti-asylum seekers claim they want safety all the while fanning hatred and bigotry,” the group said. “If they really want safety, they should remain open to foreigners, rather than forcing them to take 3D jobs ― labor-intensive work characterized as dirty, difficult and dangerous ― helping them achieve goals and encouraging them to contribute to Korean society.” [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but what makes this issue different than from the US is that there is not a political party in South Korea that gains potential voters by allowing in people claiming to be refugees. The political implications is why this issue is burning so hot right now in the US before the mid-term elections.
The Korea Times has the details on how Jeju Island became a haven for Yemeni refugees:
Jeju islanders were thrilled to hear the news in December that the budget airline Air Asia had just begun operating direct flights between the island and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, four times a week.
Airfare for return trips is just $200 to $300, depending on dates. To promote the nonstop flights, Air Asia began one-year hot deals for selected passengers where they could travel back and forth if they pay only 79,000 won ($70).
Besides the cheaper airfare, the shortened travel time is another plus; Jeju residents no longer need to transfer at Incheon International Airport to go to Malaysia.
The local government was excited as well in hopes that Jeju would attract more tourists from Southeast Asian countries amid a sudden decrease of Chinese tourists because of the fallout from the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment. The local economy would benefit with an increase of foreign tourists.
Months later, such sweeping optimism has turned into worries.
The scenic southern island, which has long been a hot tourist destination for Koreans as well as foreigners, has experienced a rapid surge of unexpected visitors _ Yemeni refugees.
As of June 21, 486 Yemenis, who escaped from their war-torn country in search of hope and a better life, are staying on the island, seeking asylum. [Korea Times]
You can read the rest at the link, but what the Korean government has done in response is removed Yemen from the visa waiver list to stop the refugees from coming.
Are people really surprised that the refugee problem is growing when laws are created that make it easier for the applicants to stay longer?:
Asylum seekers stand in line for medical help from the Korean Red Cross on Jeju Island, Monday. Korea Times
Fears about refugees are spreading quickly across Korea after news that the number of asylum seekers on Jeju Island has soared.
More than 250,000 Koreans have signed a petition against the Jeju Provincial Government’s (JPG) refugee-friendly policy that allows foreigners to stay for several months without a visa and, in the meantime, helps them find jobs.
“I call on the government to put Koreans’ safety and other important issues first,” the person who posted the petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website wrote. “I’m doubtful whether they really are refugees. Think about it. Why would they come all the way here to seek asylum?”
“If we continue to allow them, what is happening in Europe today could become our future,” another petitioner wrote.
Judging by comments from news articles and social media, the dominant voice here doesn’t support the visa-waiver policy, which many locals think draws more refugees there.
According to the Jeju Immigration Office Tuesday, more than 940 foreigners have applied for legal refugee status so far this year, compared with 312 for the whole of last year.
Yemenis, whose country has been devastated by a civil war, account for about 54.7 percent, followed by Chinese (30.9 percent).
Many asylum seekers choose Korea’s southernmost island because the JPG allows them to stay there up to a month without a visa. If they apply for legal refugee status, they can earn an additional few months until the end of the screening process. If they bring the case to the court, it could be years. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but if so many Yeminis are fleeing the country than why aren’t more Sunni Arab countries taking in refugees instead of South Korea where they don’t speak language and have a different culture?
This year's decennial event is especially meaningful for Jeju residents, since it could be the last one for most of the aging survivors. #Jeju#70th_anniversaryhttps://t.co/RiozYQ2IpR
Female divers, or “haenyeo” in Korean, celebrate as they hold the Olympic flame for the 2018 PyeongChang Games as part of the torch relay on the southern resort island of Jeju on Nov. 3, 2017. (Yonhap)
A group of children wearing the costume of “haenyeo,” female divers on South Korea’s southern Jeju Island, wait for their turn at an event to mark the anniversary of the listing of haenyeo as a UNESCO cultural heritage at a park in Seoul on Oct. 30, 2017. The listing was decided at the U.N. culture body’s meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Dec. 1, 2016. (Yonhap)
Maybe it is just me but it seems like there is something inappropriate about a “Hunger Games” theme park considering the movie involves teenagers hunting each other to the death:
Audiences that raved about novel-based science fiction adventure film franchise “Hunger Games” will be able to experience the thrill at a theme park on Jeju Island.
Landing Jeju Development, a wholly owned subsidiary of Landing International Development Limited, said Wednesday it signed with the United States’ Lionsgate, the franchise’s distributor, to build “Lionsgate Movie World” as part of recreational resort complex Jeju Shinhwa World now under construction.
The theme park, built over 122,000 square meters, will be Lionsgate’s first branded outdoor park and the biggest among the studio’s location-based entertainment businesses.
The park will have seven zones, each themed around different blockbuster movies and featuring reproduced streets and towns, rides, 4D experience halls, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops and entertainment performances. The thematic movies include the “Hunger Games,” “Twilight Saga” and “Now You See Me” franchises and “Robin Hood,” to be released next March. [Korea Times]
British peace activist Lindis Percy (L) speaks during a protest rally in front of a naval base on the southernmost resort island of Jeju on July 7, 2017. Defying strong opposition from villagers and conservationists, South Korea completed the base in February 2016. (Yonhap)
