South Korea to revise refugee law over 'terror record'

ANKARA

South Korea decided to revise its Refugee Act and allow authorities to deny refugee status to those who have links to terror groups, media reports said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Justice said it will begin the process Wednesday until Jan. 3. It will include the addition of records or concerns of "damaging national security, maintenance of order or public welfare," among conditions for denying refugee status, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

The revised law will empower the government to cancel or retract the refugee status of those who committed terror acts after or before getting the designation.

"There had been a lack of legal grounds for denying refugee status to terrorists and those with terrorist concerns," Yonhap quoted Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon.

"The revision, if completed, would put people and safety as the foremost standard in the process to confer refugee status," said Han.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid