A South Korean court has allowed two Russian asylum seekers who spent several months at Incheon airport to apply for refugee status, allowing them to enter the country.
Meanwhile, the Incheon District Court rejected another Russian’s claim, without explaining the reasons for its decision.
The three men have lived at Incheon International Airport since October, when they fled to avoid being drafted into the war in Ukraine. The lawyer asked not to be named out of fear for the safety of their families in Russia.
They landed in South Korea hoping to receive asylum, but the country’s justice ministry rejected their asylum claims at the airport.
Avoiding conscription is not a valid reason for obtaining refugee status in South Korea, where all able-bodied men must complete 18 months of compulsory military service.
The refusal pushed the Russians to take legal action and they had to spend several months in the transit zone of the airport.
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