The South Korean Supreme Court has made a landmark ruling to allow Chinese refugees to stay in South Korea
The final ruling made November 14 allows five Chinese and their families – who escaped China after being persecuted – to stay in South Korea. They were involved in China’s underground democracy movement.
The court ruled to grant them refugee status, saying they would be in danger of further persecution if they returned to China.
Wu Zhenrong, a Chinese democracy activist is relieved by the ruling from the Supreme Court. He said: “I have earned justice now that I’ve been granted refugee status through Korean law,” he said. “As I often say, there is always justice and equality – this is what I am learning.
“From now on China should follow a system of laws. When there is injustice, it should be evaluated with the rule of law – not by the personal whims of a dictator. This [trial] has also been a learning process for me.”
Mr. Deng, another Chinese democracy activist involved in the case stated, “Democratic activists throughout the world should quickly unite and put an end to the Chinese Communist one-party dictatorship system. China must build democracy.”
With the ruling for these democracy advocates, there is now more hope for a group of Falun Gong practitioners who have also escaped to Korea. The Falun Gong spiritual practice is being persecuted by the Chinese Communist regime.
In June, three Falun Gong adherents from China filed as refugees with the Seoul Administrative Court. On November 11, the court ruled against them. But now, based on the ruling for the democracy advocates, they have filed an appeal with the Supreme Court.
As of today, an estimated 315 Chinese have applied for refugee status in Korea.
