Seoul, South Korea CNN —A record number of Russians are seeking asylum in South Korea, according to South Korean authorities, with applications surging fivefold last year as Russians became the largest group seeking refuge in the East Asian country. A total of 5,750 Russian nationals sought asylum in South Korea in 2023, according to a report released earlier this month by the Korean Immigration Service. That’s five times higher than the 1,038 who sought protection in 2022 – and more than the total number of asylum applications from Russians recorded between 1994 and 2019. And the trend has continued into this year, with Russians making up the biggest group seeking asylum in January. In the past three decades, just 4,052 people have been recognized as refugees in South Korea from more than 103,000 asylum applications, according to the report.

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Persons: South Korea CNN — Organizations: South Korea CNN, South, Korean Immigration Service, Immigration Service, Incheon International Airport, South Korean Justice Ministry, CNN, Customs, Protection Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Kazakhstan, China, Malaysia, Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Korean, Soviet, United States, Moscow