TAIPEI, Taiwan – The South Korean county of Yeongyang said it plans to accept refugees from Myanmar as early as the second half of this year to address its population decline.
South Korea has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates and its population of 51 million is expected to halve by the end of the century.
Yeongyang, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) from Seoul in North Gyeongsang Province in the east of the country, has the smallest population of any county in South Korea, excluding islands, with about 15,000 residents.
To make up its numbers, Yeongyang is working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on a plan to accept some members of the Karen ethnic minority, who make up approximately 6.5% of Myanmar’s population.
Many Karen people from eastern Myanmar have been displaced during decades of fighting between a Karen insurgent force seeking self-determination and the Myanmar military. About 100,000 Karen people have been living for years in camps on the Thai side of the border with Myanmar.
Yeongyang said it would initially accept 10 families, totaling about 40 people, as early as the second half of this year, but added that it was still discussing details with the South Korean government.
According to the county, there are plans to convert unused buildings, such as former schools, into residential spaces to accommodate people from Myanmar.
Other initiatives to increase Yeongyang’s population include encouraging family members and relatives to register their addresses in the county and offering childbirth incentives of up to 100 million South Korean won (US$69,000).
Largest refugee group in South Korea
Myanmar nationals make up the largest group of officially recognized refugees in South Korea, with 474 individuals granted refugee status, in 2024, said the justice ministry.
In addition, 55 Myanmar nationals, though denied refugee status, have been granted humanitarian stay permits due to the risk of persecution or harm if returned to their home country.
Among the 122,095 asylum applications filed in South Korea by foreign nationals of all countries, 94,391 cases have been processed, while 27,704 remain pending.
The most common reasons for seeking asylum included political persecution, religious beliefs, and membership in specific social groups. However, 42% of applications were dismissed as they did not meet the criteria under the Refugee Convention, including cases based on economic hardships or private threats.
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The Karen people, many of whom are Christian, have faced decades of persecution and conflict.
The Karen National Union, Myanmar’s oldest ethnic minority insurgent force, took up arms to fight for autonomy soon after Myanmar, then known as Burma, gained independence from Britain in 1948.
Following a 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the junta intensified attacks on Karen areas with airstrikes, forced displacement and other abuses, rights groups say.
Edited by Mike Firn.