Discussion
On November 6, 2025, the fifth session of the Korea-Japan Future Seminar series was held in a hybrid format at the GL Room, GSIS, Seoul National University. With approximately 15 participants attending in person and 5 joining online, PARK Seoyeon, Director of the Ansan Multicultural Small Library, delivered a presentation titled “Approaches and Modes of Engagement with the Refugee System.”
Drawing on her experience both as a cultural anthropologist and as a former refugee status determination officer at the Ministry of Justice, Director PARK emphasized the need for a more grounded, practice-oriented approach to understanding the refugee system. She highlighted the stark disconnect between the public image of refugees, the legal definitions embedded in policy frameworks, and the actual bureaucratic procedures that applicants must navigate in order to be recognized as refugees. She urged the audience to advance discussions that confront these tensions directly.
During the Q&A session that followed, participants raised questions about the broader policy direction, particularly the shift toward measures aimed at fundamentally deterring refugee inflows and the long-term sustainability of such approaches. In response, Director PARK noted that similar policy orientations are being discussed within the UNHCR, but meaningful implementation often remains constrained by administrative and institutional limitations.
Questions also addressed comparisons with Japan's refugee recognition rates and policy environment. Director PARK explained that Japan holds relatively greater influence within international organizations, which shapes its policy choices in distinct ways. She concluded by offering reflections on potential future directions for Korea's refugee policy.
