First Yemeni restaurant opens on South Korean island of Jeju
- The nation has weathered a surge in anti-Yemeni and anti-Muslim sentiment after nearly 500 Yemenis seeking asylum arrived
- Wardah is not an establishment for Yemenis only – it also introduces South Koreans to Yemeni culture and cuisine
Weeks after South Korea denied refugee status to almost 400 Yemenis living on Jeju Island, the region’s first Yemeni restaurant opened on Tuesday.
The restaurant, named Wardah, which means flower in Arabic, is located on the northern coast of the island and offers a glimmer of hope that food may become a bridge between two cultures.
Over the past few months, the nation has weathered a surge in anti-Yemeni and anti-Muslim sentiment after nearly 500 Yemenis seeking asylum arrived in the southern island province earlier this year. Of these asylum seekers, 338 were given one-year humanitarian permits rather than refugee status, which would have granted them health and labour insurance along with other benefits.
Of those 338, local sources said nearly half the group had since departed for the South Korean mainland. The Jeju Immigration Office declined to comment.
There has been considerable public outcry against granting refugee status to nationals of the war-torn Middle Eastern nation. In June, almost 700,000 South Koreans signed a petition calling for tighter refugee laws, while hundreds protested on the streets of Seoul in July with signs demanding the government “kick out fake refugees”.