Korea to grant special stay permits for Myanmar nationals

The Korea Times

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Korea to grant special stay permits for Myanmar nationals

Posted : 2021-03-12 20:26

Updated : 2021-03-12 20:26

A Myanmar national living in South Korea carries a banner with image of Myanmar's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi at a news conference calling for the recovery of Myanmar's democracy and against the military coup in front of the Myanmar embassy in Seoul, March 12, 2021. AP

South Korea will grant special stay permits for Myanmar nationals on humanitarian grounds starting next Monday, amid mounting violence there following a coup last month, the justice ministry said Friday.

The ministry said the measures will cover approximately 25,000 Myanmar nationals who are staying in South Korea, until conditions stabilize in the Southeast Asian country.

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Under the emergency measures, the government will issue temporary stay permits to those whose visas are about to expire but cannot be extended. Those whose visas already expired will also be allowed to stay temporarily until it becomes safe to voluntarily return home.

The decision was made "on humanitarian grounds to minimize civilian casualties due to the army's oppressive crackdown" on pro-democracy protesters, Justice Minister Park Beom-kye said in a statement.

Myanmar has been in crisis since early last month when a military coup overthrew the elected government and violently cracked down on anti-coup demonstrators. (Yonhap)