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| Protesters rally against the Jeju Provincial Government's visa-waiver program in central Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap |
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| Yonhap |
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| Another group of people rally to support asylum seekers on Jeju Island. Yonhap |
By Jung Min-ho
Hundreds of people gathered in central Seoul Saturday to protest against the Jeju Provincial Government's (JPG) refugee-friendly policy which they believe allows many "fake refugees" to slip into Korea.
About 700 people rallied near Seoul City Hall to call on the central and Jeju governments to abolish the JPG's visa-waiver program which allows foreigners to stay on Jeju Island for a month.
"We urge the government to put Korean citizens before refugees," a rally organizer said. "We are not against all refugees. But we should not accept foreigners who try to exploit the policy as a means of seeking economic interests and dodging the draft in their countries."
Protesters urged the central and local governments to strengthen the legal systems so that Korean citizens can be better protected, saying they do not want their country to turn into something like a European country "struggling badly with refugee issues."
They chanted, "Koreans first," "We want safety," "Abolish the no-visa policy," and "For whom does this country exist?"
The move comes after 520,000 people signed a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website against the JPG's policy.The issue came into the spotlight recently after an increase in the number of asylum seekers entered the country's southernmost island which is famous for its pristine nature and distinctive culture.
The Jeju Immigration Office said nearly 950 foreigners have applied for legal refugee status so far this year, compared to 312 for the whole of last year. Yemenis, whose country has been devastated by a civil war, account for 54.7 percent of the applicants.
Many asylum seekers come to Jeju because the visa-free program, which was introduced to boost tourism, allows them to stay for up to one month. But if they apply for legal refugee status and take their cases to court, they could end up staying for years.
About 50 meters away from where the rally took place, another group of people (dozens of people) gathered to urge the central and Jeju governments to embrace the asylum seekers in Jeju and provide better support for them.
This is the first time that hundreds of Koreans have rallied in Seoul over refugee issues.
Korea is known as one of the most rigid countries when it comes to granting legal refugee status to foreigners. Last year, only 121 people ― or 1.2 percent of the 9,942 who applied ― obtained refugee status.
Amid growing anti-refugee sentiment here, the Ministry of Justice has taken a hardline on the issue, saying it would revise the Refugee Act to prevent the abuse of the refugee system for economic purposes.
