S. Korea will grant refugee status to zero of the roughly 500 Yemenis that arrived on Jeju to flee the civil war in their home country, though many will have humanitarian visas allowing them to stay for one year.https://t.co/DFEljNiwwv
This report makes me wonder if there is a arms for petroleum agreement going on between North Korea, Iran, Russia, and China?:
North Korea has reportedly sold arms and military equipment to Middle East countries in violation of the United Nations sanctions.
The Wall Street Journal issued the report on Saturday citing a secret report by experts monitoring UN sanctions against the regime.
The UN experts said in the report that they found new evidence of the North’s arms smuggling and illegal financial transactions.
The panel said that the evidence showed North Korea sold tanks, ballistic missiles and rocket-propelled grenades to Yemen’s Houthi insurgents and other entities via a Syrian arms smuggler.
The UN report said that North Korean arms experts had visited a munitions factory in Syria multiple times. It added that the North’s imports of petroleum products surged on the routes involving Russian and Chinese vessels. [KBS World Radio]
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.
