Refugees in Korea

[Anchor Lead]

A number of refugees have settled in South Korea after leaving their home country Myanmar and staying at a refugee camp in a foreign country. Why did they choose South Korea as their final destination? We share their story.

[Pkg]

This Myanmarese woman attended medical school in a refugee camp in Thailand before arriving in South Korea six months ago. Her dream is to work at a hospital here.

[Soundbite] (Myanmarese Refugee) : "I want to become a nurse or a doctor, because I want to help my father recover from his foot injury."

Her father left his home country 20 years ago to escape from Myanmar government forces and settled in a Thai refugee camp, but he was forced to have his right ankle amputated when he stepped on a mine.

[Soundbite] (Myanmarese Refugee) : "I was very sad and troubled when I was injured, but I regained my strength and carried on because I have a family and children to send to school."

They agreed to come to South Korea, the father motivated by his daughter's education and the daughter by a desire to seek treatment for her father. Recognized as the first refugees resettling here, they reside at a shelter in Incheon and are receiving education to adjust to their new home, including lessons in the Korean language. 29 countries, including South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are receiving resettlement refugees. The Justice Ministry plans to accept 30 such refugees a year. As a member of the International Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, Korea is experiencing a surge in the number of applicants for refugee status every year.