A court ruling was issued granting for the first time refugee status to a Russian national who entered South Korea after refusing to be conscripted for the war in Ukraine.

According to the legal community on Wednesday, the Seoul Administrative Court last month ruled in favor of the Russian national who filed a lawsuit against the chief of the Seoul Immigration Office who did not grant him refugee status.

The plaintiff posted opinions opposing the war on social media and participated in anti-war protests when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, arriving in South Korea in November of that same year after being conscripted.

The court concluded that the Russian refused conscription due to his political views and that his fear of persecution over his views was well-founded, thus recognizing him as a refugee.

It added that while simply refusing compulsory conscription cannot be a cause for persecution,  the court determined that his refusal to be drafted was an expression of his political views due to the fact that he posted opinions opposing the war and took part in protests.