South Korea has allowed a group of Yemeni asylum seekers to remain temporarily in the country but refused them refugee status,

South Korea has allowed a group of Yemeni asylum seekers to remain temporarily in the country but refused them refugee status, as it seeks to draw a line under a bitter controversy. The decision to grant humanitarian stay permits, however, risks exacerbating the furore, with both sides of the debate criticizing the move to allow 360 Yemenis to stay in South Korea without official refugee status. The justice ministry said the decision to grant the 362 permits was made because of the “serious civil war situation in Yemen”. The remaining applicants were either rejected or the decision was deferred.