Hanokers promotes creative advocacy for refugees in Korea

People gather in the courtyard of a traditional Korean house, or hanok, in central Seoul's Seochon neighborhood, May 11, for an event of Hanokers, a refugee-led initiative to provide a safe and welcoming space among people affected by conflict and displacement. Courtesy of Hanokers

By Jon Dunbar

• Published Jun 19, 2025 11:00 PM KST

South Korea accepts relatively few refugees and maintains one of the most selective asylum systems in the world.

According to Ministry of Justice data released earlier this year, the acceptance rate for asylum seekers stands at just 2.7 percent. While a lucky few get their refugee status approved, they still face severe disadvantages, despite being entitled to the same extent of social security as a Korean citizen. Meanwhile, the general public's understanding of refugees' situation is poor, often even prejudiced.

Various services, programs and resources exist here to try to fulfill the needs of those seeking asylum in Korea, which include offering a social community, mental health support and opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their new host country.

One such organization working to fulfill these needs is Hanokers, a refugee-led initiative to provide a safe and welcoming space among people affected by conflict and displacement.

Hanokers was founded by refugees from Ethiopia, Cambodia, Palestine, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as refugee rights activists from Korea and other countries.

"It was the first kind of refugee-led initiative in Korea where refugees were allowed in leadership positions as co-directors and board members," said Bereket Alemayehu, who fled the threat of political persecution in Ethiopia and came to Korea in 2014.

Bearing the title co-representative of Hanokers, Alemayehu co-founded the organization in 2022 with Yuri Yu, a Korean social activist.

The organization got its start through a donation by a Korean businessman and philanthropist, who offered financial support as well as the use of his private hanok, or traditional Korean house, for use as an event space.

Although Hanokers has since moved on to other venues, the group took its name from its original meeting place, as a symbol of the feeling of sanctuary the group seeks to offer.

"Hanokers is a concept, a state of mind that one of our founding members felt every time they entered a hanok," said Laura Acosta, a Hanokers co-representative. "It reflects a welcoming and calm atmosphere, a sense of peace — separate from the fast-paced hustle and bustle of the city — that reflects the fascination of the history and traditional aesthetics of the country."

Originally from Switzerland, Acosta is one of the few foreign members not seeking asylum here. Alemayehu invited her to Hanokers shortly after its founding.

"I joined Hanokers out of friendship and also to apply my project management skills and interest and activities related to positive psychology to the group," she said. "I feel deeply about building bridges of understanding between Koreans and immigrants, including refugees, and helping create spaces for cultural exchange and mutual understanding."

Hanokers' initiatives have changed over the years. Initially the group focused on job creation, including a guest house project and online language tutoring. In 2023, its focus shifted to addressing language skill barriers and creating intercultural opportunities for exchange. But it has since refined its focus, moving away from services that are offered by other refugee advocacy groups, toward what Acosta described as "providing psychosocial support, empowerment and social engagement through creative advocacy."

"Hanokers strongly believes that creative advocacy could make a huge difference in improving public perceptions and mistreatment," Alemayehu said.

It has pursued this aim through various storytelling events for refugee communities in Korea.

Hanokers' signature event is the Refugee Insights talk series, in which the group invites a refugee living in Korea to give a talk providing information about their country's situation and their personal story. It also runs workshops and has created a fellowship program through which refugees get direct financial and technical support from Hanokers to develop their stories creatively.

The next Refugee Insights talk is planned for July 13 in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, in collaboration with the Cambodian Peace Forum.

"Our focus is to provide platforms and bridges for refugees to express themselves creatively and tell their stories, and build bridges of understanding," Acosta said. "Providing a platform for Koreans and refugees to meet and exchange in person, on a human level, could help sensitize the population about the situation and contribution of refugees and other immigrants in the country, instead of 'othering' them."

One of the pillars of Hanokers is mental health support. One way of supporting this actively is through kouksundo, a Korean Taoist practice based on meditation, comparable to yoga or tai chi. Classes are taught by a kouksundo master who is a member of Hanokers.

"Kouksundo is a type of traditional Korean practice that combines deep breathing techniques, slow meditative movements and energy-focused exercises," Acosta said. "Kouksundo helps improve physical health, reduce stress and cultivate inner balance by focusing on the flow of life energy."

Visit hanokers.org for more information, or follow @hanokers on Instagram.