"Praying Every Night for the Numerous Support Requests from Ukrainian Compatriots"
Published 05 Apr.2022 06:00(KST)
Updated 16 Aug.2025 18:24(KST)
[Interview] Shin Joya, Representative of Gwangju Goryeoin Village
"Supported Entry of 32 People So Far... Could Be Thousands in the Future"
"Many Compatriots Stranded in Neighboring Countries Without Passports Due to War"
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] “SOS requests from ethnic Koreans of Ukrainian descent are pouring in. Those who suddenly lost their homes and fled are unable to enter the country because they did not bring passports or money.”
Shin Jo-ya, the representative of the Gwangju Koreanin Village, whom we met at the ‘Koreanin Village Comprehensive Support Center’ in Wolgok-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City on the 1st, looked noticeably thinner compared to a few months ago at an event last year.
She said there is a mountain of work to do as the only organization nationwide supporting Koreanin refugees with airfare and housing arrangements.
Shin, who came to South Korea?the land of her ancestors she had longed for?in 2001 and has been active as the Koreanin Village representative since around 2006, said this kind of chaos is unprecedented.
She apologized for almost forgetting today's interview appointment. She is so busy making dozens of calls daily to compatriots staying in foreign countries to escape the war and searching for ways to help that 24 hours a day is not enough.
During the interview, her phone kept ringing, and she apologized several times while answering about ten calls.
At a round table set up in a corner inside, an ‘emergency rescue operation’ was underway. It was an operational command center securing lists of additional refugees to arrive and devising countermeasures for those stuck in neighboring countries due to visa issues.
Shin explained, “The number of incoming refugees could be hundreds or even thousands. At this point, it’s impossible to estimate.”
The scale is gradually increasing, with 16 people arriving on the 30th, 12 more on the 1st of this month, following 13-year-old Choi Mark on the 14th of last month and 10-year-old Nam Anita on the 22nd.
She is helping overseas compatriots by receiving passports, IDs, and visa confirmations through overseas messenger apps such as WhatsApp, Imo, and KakaoTalk, purchasing airline tickets, and sending electronic tickets (e-tickets).
The biggest obstacle in this operation is financial conditions. They are paying not only for flights but also for a 2 million won deposit and two months’ rent for one-room apartments, facing a realistic wall. Moreover, airfare has surged nearly 50% within a few months.
She said, “Initially, we planned to help only Koreanin people in the region, but we could not turn our backs on compatriots caught in the whirlpool of war,” expressing gratitude that many anonymous Koreans have sent donations, barely sustaining their efforts.
Currently, fundraising is underway through ‘GBS Koreanin Broadcasting,’ a terrestrial broadcast reaching about 250,000 households centered in the region. The amount collected in the donation account is just over 40 million won.
Shin explained that there are no other organizations nationwide taking care of Koreanin people like theirs, so requests for help are coming from Koreanin villages across the country, including refugee camps in Romania and Poland, as well as Ansan, Cheonan, and Cheongju.
Many continue their dark refugee lives without passports or IDs needed for visa issuance.
A family of Jeinis (40), who requested help at this center, is one such case. Her mother, Kim Ryusiya (70), is stranded in a refugee camp in neighboring Romania, unable to come or go after their home was destroyed by Russian military bombing.
Shin is running around to keep her promise, “I will definitely find a way,” but the embassy responded that entry into Korea is difficult without a passport. However, she is not giving up and is exploring various options.
She added, “Most did not have passports because they usually had no reason to travel abroad or suddenly fled due to war without bringing passports. Even if they want to return to Korea, they are spending anxious days in neighboring countries without passports.”
She concluded, “I hope the war ends soon and peace comes. We will spare no support so that Koreanin compatriots can regain stability and return to Ukraine to resume their livelihoods.”
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