Two Russians to apply for asylum in South Korea after fleeing mobilization

Two Russians who fled their country to avoid being drafted to fight in Ukraine will be able to file for asylum in South Korea, a local court announced Tuesday.

The two men, who had been stuck at the Incheon International Airport, near Seoul, since last October, will be able to enter the country — but the asylum process itself could take years, AFP reported.

According to the U.N. refugee agency, only about 1 percent of asylum seekers — or 114 people — were granted some form of protection in 2021 in South Korea.

The court denied a similar request from a third Russian citizen. He can appeal the decision, but will have to keep living at the airport in the meantime.

The cases of two other Russian nationals who arrived in the country in November will be assessed by the same court later this month, according to the Korea Times.

Thousands of Russians left the country to avoid being drafted into the Russian army and sent to fight in the war in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin announced the partial mobilization of 300,000 people last September.