“South Korea’s Refugee Policies: National and Human Security Perspectives”: A Review and Analysis

This academic essay was written for a school paper assignment in grad school. 

Introduction

            The global refugee crisis has been more prevalent over the past years. With the continuous outbreak of conflict in certain parts of the world, it has been reported that over 26 million people are displaced and seeking refuge in other countries (UNHCR 2020). Among the host countries in Asia-Pacific, South Korea has the lowest acceptance rate according to World Data. Controversies have emerged regarding this East Asian country’s half-baked commitment to refugee response. The case of North Korean refuge seekers (defectors), however, is an exemption. In the article, “South Korea’s Refugee Policies: National and Human Security Perspectives”, Shin-wa Lee demonstrated the refugee policies of South Korea and its challenges of balancing national and human security. She explained how different administrations responded with inconsistent urgency to the problem. Her argument is centered on the necessity to encourage human security as failures in addressing it will inevitably affect national security. Despite her compelling position, this article must be reviewed and analyze critically to enrich the discourse on human security. Hence, this critical analysis essay purports to review and comment on the article by Lee. 

Article Summary

            The article is concentrated on dissecting the policies of South Korea regarding the flock of refugees, both global and from North Korea. The author started with a good review of the concepts of national and human security and their relationship with refugee flows. The incoherent and uncomprehensive response of the international community to refugees has manifested in the varying public policies of host countries. The author explained that measures of a host country to accept refugees depend largely on their pragmatic calculation. This includes any consequence related to internal security, workforce advantage, economic status, and national prestige, among others. The author continued by reviewing the threat posed by migrants and refugees to the host society’s economy, threat, and overall welfare. Most importantly, refugees bring threats to the national sovereignty of a state. However, denying entry to refugees puts them in a vulnerable situation to be trafficked and smuggled by predator groups. In return, this has negative implications for the national security of host states, according to Lee.

            The author detailed the South Korean policies toward global refugees. According to UNHCR, South Korea is among the lowest-ranking countries that accept asylum seekers. This is exhibited in the difficult process of application for asylum appeals. Minimal positive changes were observed in 2002 when the country was elected as a board member of UNHCR. This cemented the foundation of favorable action towards the global refugee crisis. In 2012, the administration enacted the Refugee Act which assisted foreign refugees to obtain social and legal protection and residence. Succeeding administrations carried on the torch by adopting a comprehensive security approach (including those related to refugees) and advocating global human rights issues. The author argued that these diplomatic strategies are entry points for a middle-power state, like South Korea.

            Another important highlight of this article was dedicated to discussing South Korea’s refugee policies vis-à-vis North Korean defectors. At the core of these policies is the Constitutional provision which specifies that North Koreans are technically citizens of South Korea. Unsurprisingly, the early waves of North Korean elite defectors were revered as patriots. In 1962, the Special Law on Protection for Patriots and North Korean Defectors was passed. Defectors were afforded with military protection, settlement finances, employment advantages, and overall high honor. Over the years, the worsening social condition on North Korea drove a mass exodus of a new wave of defectors but this time economic refugees. With the threat to politics and economy, this prompted Seoul to tighten policy measures. The author highlighted the horrible plight of refugees who had to rely on criminal traffickers and criminal groups to help them seek refuge. Fortunately, the regime of Park, Lee, and Kim implemented policies to improve the support system, human rights, and human security of North Korean defectors.

 

Analysis

            Notwithstanding the contribution of this article to the literature on the refugee crisis and human security, it is important to critically feedback on strengths and limitations. First, Shin-wa Lee wrote a comprehensive article that examines the current policies related to refugees in South Korea. With a coherent organization of the topics, the article had a strong introduction that set the context. The section that reviewed the background of refugees discussed a fresh perspective on refugees. For example, she emphasized how threats (both real and perceived) play an insidious role in inciting fear, xenophobia, and nationalism. This is consistent with a wealth of literature that demonstrates the mediating role of threat (Getmansky, Sinmazdemir and Zeitzoff 2018, Devetak 2007, Eastmond 1998). Lee made an extensive point regarding national security and alluded to the significance of human security. However, the human security part was not well-developed. She mentioned the policies that promoted human security but did no delve deeper into the lived experiences of refugees. She could have further enriched the discussion by explaining the human security needs of the refugees, especially for the case of North Korean defectors. This is vital considering the scant literature on the human security necessities of defectors fleeing North Korea.  

            Second, the article argued that failure to protect the human security of refugees would eventually threaten national security. Rejection of refugees, accordingly, benefit the short-term but risks long-term dangerous consequences. The author described how innocent refugees are prey to smugglers, human traffickers, rebel warriors, and terrorist groups. While it is true that this endangers the human security of refugees, she did not build a strong argument on the causal and/or relationship between forsaking human security and the potential threat to national security. There is no clear connection between the two. One may ask, “How does getting smuggled or trafficked impact the national security of South Korea?”. This is not to discount this argument since previous studies have demonstrated that robust refugee protection policies can fortify national security (Kerwin 2016, Human Rights First 2017). However, in the case of this study, one may raise how relevant and empirical is this contention in the case of South Korea. News of how smuggled and trafficked affected the national integrity of Seoul is unheard of. In the meantime, this remains a speculative argument unless solid evidence is founded.    

            Third, the recommendations of the author are well-established with the identified gap. She emphasized the unequivocal truth on the nature of global issues and their transnational and interconnected reality. Her recommendations on the powerful impact of the partnership between states and groups to address the refugee-related issues are highly valid and acceptable. Lee also suggested promoting the bottom-up empowerment approach which is a main operational approach of human security (Weller 2014, den Boer and de Wilde 2008). She indicated the crucial role of civil society organizations and non-government organizations in realizing this specific recommendation. Certainly, empowerment strategies are called for. To develop further the concept, she could have specified what does empowerment entails, especially in the context of refugees in South Korea. Does this involve participatory approaches? If so, to what extent are refugees be engaged in the process? These questions are foundations that would truly make human security a human-centered and human-oriented practice for refugees in South Korea.

            Lastly, the author discussed some social and educational programs by the South Korean government to defectors. An example is a 12-week program in Hanawon to support the smooth transition of defectors. This is a commendable effort of the South but since the refugee crisis impacts the host society equally (Alix-Garcia and Saah 2009, Millder 2018), it is logical that some interventions are executed to prepare the receiving country, as well. Schools and the media are one of the key institutions to promote social awareness programs regarding North Korean defectors and global refugees. This is of high relevance in South Korea considering the widespread prejudice and discrimination of refugees (Kwok 2019, Noh, et al. 2018, Koo 2018).

 

Conclusion

            Undeniably, this article by Shin-wa Lee contributes to mainstreaming the discourse of human security. This commonly misunderstood concept was studied by juxtaposing it with national security in the context of the refugee movement in South Korea. Although her pivotal argument on the connection of abandonment of human rights and national security threat could have been further extended, the author illustrated a thorough discussion of South Korea’s refugee policies towards North Korean defectors and in general, the global refugees. Her analysis and commentaries on these policies were profound. Future studies can pick up these findings and evaluate these policies by comparing them with specific policy criteria. This can be done by employing primary data which might include interviews, focus group discussion, content analysis, and other strategies of inquiry that will establish a clear causality and/or association. Nevertheless, this paper helps clarify the arcane and complex link between human security and national security in the context of the global refugee crisis.

References

 

Alix-Garcia, Jennifer, and David Saah. 2009. "The Effect of Refugee Inflows on Host Communities: Evidence from Tanzania." The World Bank Economic Review 148-170.

den Boer, Monica, and Jaap de Wilde. 2008. "Top-down and Bottom-up Approaches to Human Security." In The Viability of Human Security, by Monica den Boer and Jaap de Wilde, 9-18. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

Devetak, Richard. 2007. "In Fear of Refugees: The Policitcs of Border Protection in Australia." The International Journal of Human Rights 101-109.

Eastmond, Marita. 1998. "Nationalist Discourses and the Construction of Difference: Bosnian Muslim Refugees in Sweden." Journal of Refugee Studies 161-181.

Getmansky, Anna, Tolga Sinmazdemir, and Thomas Zeitzoff. 2018. "Refugeees, Xenophobia, and Domestic Conflict: Evidence from a Survey Experiment in Turkey." Journal of Peace Research 1-17.

Human Rights First. 2017. Refugees and National Security. January 20. Accessed August 5, 2020. https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/resource/refugees-and-national-security.

Kerwin, Donanld. 2016. "How Robust Refugee Protection Policies can Strengthen Human and National Security." Journal on Migration and Human Security 83-140.

Koo, Se-woong. 2018. South Korea’s Enduring Racism. July 1. Accessed August 5, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/01/opinion/south-korea-racism.html.

Kwok, Ji-dam. 2019. Iranian-born asylum seeker still faces prejudice after receiving refugee status. June 5. Accessed August 5, 2020. english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/896780.html.

Millder, Sarah Deardorff. 2018. "Assesing the Impacts of Hosting Refugees." World Refugee Council Research 1-24.

Noh, Jin-woh, Hyunchun Park, Minji Kim, Young Dae Kwon, Jin-seok Kim, and Shien Yu. 2018. "The Effects of Discrimination Experience on Life Satisfaction of North Korean Refugees: Mediating Effect of Stress." Psychiatry Investigation 49-53.

UNHCR. 2020. Figures at a Glance. June 18. Accessed August 5, 2020. https://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html.

Weller, Evelien. 2014. Comprehensive Approach to Human Security. Research Report, Knowledge, Platform, Security & Rule of Law.

World Data. n.d. Asylum applications and refugees in South Korea. Accessed August 5, 2020. https://www.worlddata.info/asia/south-korea/asylum.php.