[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] An Angolan family from Congo, who had stayed for an extended period at Incheon International Airport after being denied entry, has been recognized as refugees.
On the 9th, the Ministry of Justice held a Refugee Committee meeting and announced that the family of Louren?o Nkuka, a national of Angola, was recognized as refugees. The Refugee Committee stated, "Due to media reports that occurred during their stay in Korea, the possibility of persecution by their home government has become a reality," and added, "They were accepted as 'refugees under the local regime.'"
In December 2018, Mr. Louren?o and his family, including four children, arrived in Korea on tourist visas. Later, they applied for refugee status, claiming persecution during the Angolan government's process of expelling Congolese immigrants. However, the Incheon Airport Immigration and Foreigners Office judged that they were seeking refugee recognition solely for economic reasons and did not include the Louren?o family in the refugee screening process.
Disagreeing with this, the Louren?o family stayed for about 10 months in the transit convenience area within the duty-free zone of Incheon Airport, securing lodging and meals, until a court ruling in September 2019 ordered that they must be subjected to refugee screening.
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