Japan and South Korea aren't.
As European countries struggle to cope with over a million migrants who have escaped the ongoing violence in the Middle East, a relatively small number of Syrians have sought protection in South Korea.
But only a few have been officially recognized as refugees. Most receive so-called humanitarian visas that allow them to live in the country without financial support, housing or health care.
Government figures show that since 1994, 1,144 Syrians have requested asylum in South Korea, but refugee status has been granted to only three.
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Some observers accuse South Korea of not fulfilling its commitment as a signatory of the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, a treaty that defines who is a refugee and what responsibilities a host nation has in providing for that individual.
"Clearly Seoul is reluctant to undertake those obligations except for in the most clear-cut cases," said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division.
Robertson said South Korea's humanitarian visas are an "artificial category" that "gives less rights" to asylum seekers, noting that Japan, too, has come under similar criticism in regard to its refugee policy.
https://www.voanews.com/a/south-kore...y/3451163.html