“Abolishment of the temporary accommodation plan for Afghan refugees at US military bases in Korea and Japan”

Reuters reported that the United States would no longer consider temporarily holding Afghan refugees at US bases in South Korea and Japan, Reuters reported, citing multiple officials.

Officials told Reuters that “there seems to be a better area,” and “South Korea and Japan have decided to exclude Afghanistan from the list of countries receiving refugees due to transportation and geographic reasons.”

The officials added that the South Korean government responded positively when the United States first proposed accepting Afghan refugees at USFK bases.

The US State Department reportedly did not respond to a Reuters request for a position.

In response to reports that the U.S. had requested temporary accommodation at U.S. Forces Korea bases for locals evacuated from Afghanistan, the State Department only explained, “The State Department is in contact with various countries with U.S. military facilities that may be able to assist with Afghan evacuation efforts.” .

Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong said, “It is true that we discussed a very rudimentary possibility at an early stage, but it was not seriously discussed.”

Meanwhile, U.S. officials said yesterday that the South Korean government is working with the U.S. to bring about 400 Afghans to South Korea, who have helped South Korean soldiers and South Korean aid workers in Afghanistan.

Reuters explained that most of these Afghans were medical personnel, technicians and interpreters who either helped South Korean troops deployed to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014 or participated in reconstruction missions between 2010 and 2014.

Reuters added, “Due to the situation in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, the plan to bring Afghans who cooperated with Korea to Korea is full of uncertainty.”

Yesterday, Director of the National Security Office, Seo Hoon, attended the National Assembly Steering Committee and announced that he was considering the issue of repatriating a local person who helped South Korea in Afghanistan.

On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said, “In relation to the issue of local employees and their families who supported the Korean government’s activities in Afghanistan, we have reviewed including repatriation to Korea.”

(Photo = U.S. Central Command, Yonhap News)