Ethiopians ‘seek asylum en masse in South Korea’

Aug 13, 2013 (BBC News) — Two-thirds of a group of young professional Ethiopians who went for training in South Korea have stayed to seek asylum, it’s reported.
Forty chose to apply for political asylum on the grounds of “gross human rights violations”, while just 19 returned home, according to London-based Ethiomedia website. The pro-opposition news outlet quotes one of the 40, Sisay Woldegabriel, as complaining of Muslims being “brutalized by police and government forces”. The group is apparently staying at Henan Refugee Camp and Ethiomedia suggests they’ve been welcomed as a result of Ethiopia’s support for Seoul – in the form of thousands of troops - during the Korean War. Three years ago, a 38-year-old Ethiopian became the first refugee to be awarded South Korean citizenship.
–BBC News

The young professionals have been training in three fields: Mechanics, Electricity and Welding. A total of 40 Ethiopians, 10 of whom are women, have decided not to return to a repressive life in Ethiopia.