SEOUL, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Friday granted an official refugee status to two Yemenis who have stayed in the country's southern resort island of Jeju early this year, local media reported citing the justice ministry.
The immigration office of the Jeju island acknowledged only two Yemenis were granted refugee status, out of the 484 Yemeni asylum seekers who applied for refugee status this year.
The two were given the refugee status as they are highly likely to be persecuted in their home country, given their past experiences of being abducted and threatened by the rebel forces.
Through the three rounds of application reviews, 412 Yemenis were given the humanitarian stay permits that require the re-deliberation every year for an extended stay.
The permits were granted because they could be at risk if deported. With the permits, the 412 Yemenis are allowed to leave the Jeju island for other parts of the country.
Refugee applications from 56 Yemenis were rejected as they either faced criminal charges or sought asylum for an economic purpose though they can stably live in other countries.
The remaining 14 applications were dismissed as the applicants either left the country or withdrew their applications.
The arrival of the Yemeni refugees in the island sparked controversy in the country as some locals are worried that it may increase social problems such as less job openings for local residents.
