Ahmed Lababidi fled his home in the war-ravaged city of Aleppo, Syria, in 2012. The 22 year old then traveled to South Korea with his brother, where they were able to secure visas with the help of a Syrian businessman in Seoul.
Soon after, Lababidi applied for refugee status, but he says Korean immigration officials denied his request.
“I can stay here, but not as a refugee,” he recalls being told.
Lababidi settled on Jeju Island — a honeymoon destination for South Koreans — home. Though, for how much longer is anyone’s guess.
RELATED: A Syrian man takes refuge in a Korean honeymoon resort island
Multimedia journalist Malte E. Kollenberg recently spent some time with Labadidi to find out what his life was like on Jeju Island.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.