Fifty-eight South Koreans were found to have applied for asylum in the United States last year.

The U.S. Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) recently released statistics which show over 39-thousand foreigners applied for asylum in the U.S. between October 2008 and September 2009. Twenty-six percent of them, or over ten-thousand, were approved.

Chinese were by far the largest group, accounting for about 33 percent of those seeking asylum. The Chinese were followed by Ethiopians at four percent and then Haitians, Iraqis and Columbians.

Fifty-eight South Koreans applied for asylum, but only one was approved. Five North Koreans applied and one was permitted.

In fiscal year 2008, only one of 20 South Korean applicants were granted asylum, while all three North Korean applicants were approved.