"Relentless Political Attacks"… Jung Woo-sung Resigns as UN Refugee Ambassador After 9 Years

Active as goodwill ambassador for 9 years since 2015
Facing backlash after candid remarks on 'Jeju Yemen refugees'
"Refugees are an issue humanity must face for the future"

Actor Jung Woo-sung (51) has reportedly resigned from his position as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a role he held for nine years. According to Hankyoreh21 on the 22nd, Jung said on the 15th, "I was concerned that my image was becoming too closely tied to the UNHCR Korea office and becoming fixed." He further explained his reason for stepping down, stating, "Both the organization and I have been subjected to continuous political attacks, with people trying to impose other meanings such as 'Jung Woo-sung is doing this work for political reasons,' which has created an unfavorable situation for both me and the organization."

Jung Woo-sung meeting Rohingya refugees at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in 2019.
[Image provided by UNHCR]

Jung began his refugee support activities in 2014 as an honorary envoy for UNHCR. From the following year, he served as a Goodwill Ambassador for nine years, visiting countries and regions with significant refugee populations such as South Sudan, Lebanon, Rohingya areas, Venezuela, and Poland to assist refugees. During the Yemeni refugee crisis in Jeju in 2018, he posted a message on social media on World Refugee Day, June 20, urging people to "stand with refugees," which led to backlash from netizens opposing the acceptance of refugees in Jeju. In 2019, he also published a book titled If You Could See What I Have Seen, documenting five years of his refugee-related activities.

In a March interview with Channel A, Jung revealed, "I had a really hard time during the Jeju Yemeni refugee controversy. Society was quite stirred up. I tried to respond calmly, but I was afraid that individual misconduct would escalate into negative perceptions of refugees." He also shared, "I became interested because of a Japanese short story about refugees. I thought it would be great if that story were made into a film, and then one day, UNHCR contacted me. So, I jumped in without hesitation."

Regarding his role as a Goodwill Ambassador, he told Hankyoreh21, "Seeing the actor Jung Woo-sung visit refugee camps around the world every year and talk about refugees seems to have clarified the vague perceptions and understanding of refugees in Korean society. However, whether that influence was positive for people is not something I can evaluate."

He added, "The refugee issue is something we must look at for the future of humanity. Through refugees, we can see how horrific war is, how it devastates human lives, and ultimately realize the value of peace."