Actor Jung Woo-sung expressed his conviction that he should help refugees.
In KBS 1TV’s’Reporter Report The World Is Now’ broadcasted on the 26th, Jung Woo-sung, who has been working as an honorary ambassador and goodwill ambassador for the past 7 years at UNHCR’s 70th anniversary, appeared along with James Lynch, CEO of UNHCR Korea.
Jung Woo-sung said, “I watch’The Correspondent Reports The World is Now’ occasionally. I thought it was a good program to report in-depth on big issues happening around the world, but thank you for inviting me with refugee issues at the end of the year.” .
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of UNHCR. “The UNHCR was founded in 1950 to deal with the refugee problem. The initial operating period was 3 years, but it still persists after 70 years. The world still needs UNHCR, and the second phase is in need,” said James Lynch. After the World War, the number of refugees is increasing exponentially, rather than decreasing. (I feel proud and sad) My mind is complicated,” he said.
Jung Woo-sung expressed the idea that the refugee problem was caused by a man-made disaster. “When I was first with a refugee agency, I also approached refugees superficially. I was told about help, activities, and sharing for those in need, and when I visited the camp and recorded the life they faced, where was that? It occurred, and the problems are never different from us, and they are people who resemble us and the terrible times that passed through the Japanese colonial period, liberation, and 6.25. That is why humans are constantly creating for a long time when it comes to seeing and understanding refugees. “I feel that the problem of the disaster that I am making is the story of it.”
Pointing to the situation where the number of refugees continues to increase, Woo-sung Jung, “The number of returnees (refugees who returned to their home country or hometown or domestically displaced) is decreasing. In the 1990s, 1.5 million people returned to their home countries every time, and statistics from the past 10 years “There are only 360,000 people every year. As the conflict persists and prolongs, the chances of refugees returning home are decreasing,” he said.
In response, James Lynch said, “It is because disputes over people and nationality as well as political issues continue to occur. The world has not yet improved in dealing with humanitarian issues.
Jung Woo-sung, who visits the refugee camp every year, asked the most impressive place, “It is difficult to pick one place. It is because all stories in all regions are so intense and impressive”. The size of the Myanmar Rohingya refugee camp located in Palong was very shocking. The city was formed with a large number of people approaching 900,000. When I saw it visually, the shock was enormous.”
Recently, the Bangladeshi government has forced the Myanmar Rohingya group to migrate, causing controversy in the international community. Jung Woo-sung said, “There is hope no matter what refugees around the world are there. I don’t know when that will be, but it’s a hope that “I will return to my homeland when peace in my homeland returns.” However, they don’t have that kind of look of hope. In the article, he explained the shock he felt at the scene, saying, “You are not a Korean citizen, you are going out.”
There is also negative public opinion about refugees in Korean society. At its peak, the incident was the influx of refugees from Yemen in Jeju Island in 2018. At the time, Jung Woo-sung received both support and criticism for his remarks about refugees.
Jung Woo-sung said, “I think we should listen to the voices of concern about refugees,” and “But is the voice of concern close to the truth? There were great concerns, but I am living in Korea with permission for humanitarian stay and refugee status. “The refugees at that time existed as dangerous entities in this society. It is now being proven that they are not.”
“A lot of people say,’If we talk about refugees, it’s not like that at all, it’s difficult for us to help refugees first.’ No life can take precedence over someone’s life. There are many problems in our complex world. Yes. Among them, the problem of refugees is a problem that humanity must solidarity with, so we are talking, and if we have enough time, we should share it.
[사진=KBS 방송 캡처]
(SBS Entertainment News reporter Kang Seon-ae)
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