Refugee Statistics
From 1994 to 2024, South Korea received 122,095 cumulative asylum applications. 1,544 people were recognized as refugees (recognition rate 2.7%), and 2,696 were granted humanitarian stay.
122,095
Cumulative applications
1,544
Recognized
2.7%
Recognition rate
Source: MOJ immigration yearbooks, MOU, MOIS
South Korea's refugee recognition rate is among the lowest in the world. KIRD breaks down applications, recognitions, and humanitarian stay by nationality, ground for the claim, visa status at application, and processing stage — and estimates interpretation-language demand for protected persons to aid support planning.