Korea opens interpreter center for asylum seekers

By Lee Han-soo

The Korean judiciary has opened an interpreter and translation center to help asylum seekers who are on trial.

The center is at the Seoul Administrative Court in southern Seoul.

It has one full-time interpreter/translator and 27 volunteers fluent in English or French. The center will expand its pool of volunteers and the number of languages.

The center opened in response to a sharp increase in the number of cases involving foreigners seeking asylum in Korea.

The administrative court handed nearly 1,000 refugee cases last year, up from 400 in 2014. At this pace, the court expects to handle about 2,000 cases this year.

“We are hoping that the center will provide systematic translation support,” said a court official. “The center will allow foreigners who are on trial to have a fast and fair trial.”