New Life in South Korea Poses Challenges for Refugees
Who are the Koryoin?
A steady stream of Ukrainians who are descended from Koreans forcibly deported during the Soviet era, known as the Koryo-Saram (also Koryoin), have sought refuge in South Korea since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Although Korea’s Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has made praiseworthy efforts to smoothen the transition process for Koryoin migrants, who may number between 900 and 3000 individuals, many refugees have thus far arrived in their ancestral homeland to experience hardships such as unemployment and language barriers. Koryoin youths, in particular, face substantial challenges. The MOJ should consider more substantive actions, such as adjusting visa policies, to assist the Koryoin students in making long-term adjustments.
Struggles in the Classroom and Beyond
The material support that Koryoin refugees receive today, such as food donations and monetary aid, comes mostly from non-profit organizations such as Koryoin Village (an organization founded by former Soviet-Bloc Koreans to help fellow Koryoin migrants in Korea), the South Korean Red Cross, and various Christian pastors. The absence of direct government aid means that Koryoin refugees, particularly children, are still struggling to adjust to life in Korea.
In the classroom, for example, lack of proficiency in Korean among Koryoin youths causes them to fall behind, as they are unable to participate in class and form ties with faculty and classmates. Many schools and municipal governments offer extra Korean-language lessons, but the teacher-student ratio can range from 1:10 or even 1:50 in some cases. Due to this, Koryoin students find it difficult to concentrate and develop their Korean language skills, as teachers simply lack the resources to pay everyone equal attention.
School-related issues are just part of the hardship faced by Koryoin students. Because the Koryoin migrated to Ukraine from other former USSR states, many of them lack Ukrainian citizenship and hold obsolete Soviet passports. Many Koryoin refugees fear that if the war ends and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs terminates their visas, Ukraine will bar them from returning. Such uncertainties can foster a sense of insecurity among Koryoin students, as the possibility of abandonment by both countries creates a sense of ennui that erases their motivation.
Furthermore, one survey found that over two-fifths of Koryoin refugees (or 42.8%) reported a family member killed or wounded in the war. The trauma to Koryoin students’ family and friends, as well as the refugee community as a whole, can also make adjusting to a new environment and learning in the classroom difficult.
Visa Laws: Steps Taken
Modifying visa laws can improve the adjustment process for school-age Koryoin. On Jan. 27 this year the MOJ indefinitely extended the G-1 refugee visa status of displaced Korean-Ukrainians so that they do not have to reapply every six months. A year prior, the MOJ also granted F-4 visas to all Koryoin students currently attending elementary, middle or high schools in South Korea. The F-4 Overseas Korean visa, which is tailored to foreign-born nationals of Korean heritage, is considered much more advantageous than the ordinary H-2 visa offered to foreign workers, because the H-2 only lasts for three years while the F-4 can extend residency status after every three years. This is especially welcome news for Koryoin students with non-Russian passports, since those with passports from countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan had to previously graduate from a South Korean high school or college to qualify for F-4 status. By contrast, ethnic Koreans with Russian passports automatically qualify for the F-4 visa regardless of age or student status, reflecting Russia’s stronger economic reputation in South Korea.
Looking Toward a Brighter Future for Koryoin Refugees?
These reforms to visa requirements are valuable steps in the right direction, but a closer look reveals numerous problems and inconsistencies with the F-4 visa itself that necessitate further reform. Because students must currently attend school to qualify for the F-4 visa, adolescents who are either too young to attend school or who cannot attend school due to personal (e.g. language barriers) or economic reasons are excluded from consideration. Furthermore, while the F-4 allows people to bring family members with them, unlike the H-2, those with the F-4 visa are confusingly banned from participating in “simple labor” jobs such as cleaning, trash removal, etc. For a newly-arrived refugee youth still struggling with the language, such jobs might be the only ones available. Thus, reforming the F-4 visa by allowing work in “simple labor” jobs or by easing the process for F-5 permanent residency status, which currently involves hefty monetary requirements, would help to resolve these issues.
That said, the MOJ’s willingness and flexibility to accommodate the transition of Koryoin youth are encouraging. While most of the modifications made to the visa programs so far address the current war, the MOJ must also consider other constructive policies with long-term aims. These include working with municipal governments such as the Gwangsan District of Gwangju city, where the largest number of Koryoin refugees live, hiring more Russian-speaking school teachers, dispatching social/mental health workers in Koryoin neighborhoods and enacting visa modifications to facilitate permanent settlement. This additional support will help Koryoin refugees feel at home in their ancestral country.
Won Seok (Eric) Lee is a full-time second year Master of Public Policy student at McCourt. Eric is fascinated by current debates centered around South Korea’s demographic decline and the measures that can be taken to alleviate this problematic trend. Going forward, he plans to continue exploring the return migration of ethnic Korean foreign nationals to South Korea and how host nations react to their arrival.
