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Mon, June 27, 2022 | 11:47
Politics
Record number of Koreans sign anti-refugee petition
Posted : 2018-07-06 14:27
Updated : 2018-07-07 09:52
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Yemeni asylum seekers wait for their chance to explain their case to human rights officials in Jeju last month. Yonhap
Yemeni asylum seekers wait for their chance to explain their case to human rights officials in Jeju last month. Yonhap

By Oh Young-jin

A record number of people have signed a petition on the presidential office website asking for tougher rules for granting refugee status.

As of Friday morning, about 642,000 people had signed. The petition is in the spotlight amid a tight tug of war between supporters and opponents of Yemeni asylum seekers on Jeju.

Calling for tighter rules, the person who proposed the petition said that unlike no-visa entry for tourists to Jeju Island, it was too early to grant refugee status to Yeminites.

The presidential office makes it a rule to reply to a petition that draws more than 200,000 signatories within 30 days of a proposal being registered.

This anti-refugee proposal was made on June 13 so it will be close next Friday. Cheong Wa Dae will have to answer by Aug. 13.

President Moon Jae-in has dealt with the refugee issue quite gingerly, only ordering a look into the Jeju situation.

Recently, it was decided to set up a board to review the refugee status situation. The Justice Ministry believes this will shorten the application/decision process.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Yemenites are staying on Jeju with some seeking protected status, but the situation triggered pro- and anti-protests in Seoul last weekend.

Traditionally, Koreans have taken pride in being a pure-blood nation, although this has been eroded by the inflow of migrant wives and one of the world's lowest birthrates.

The previous petition with a record number of signatories was one against the early release of sex offender Cho Doo-soon, who was sentenced to 22 years behind bars in 2008.

A total of 615,534 signed.


Emailfoolsdie5@kimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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