The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says South Korea’s move to grant citizenship to an Ethiopian refugee last week is a highly significant milestone in Asia.

The U.N. agency’s spokeswoman, Melissa Fleming, noted Wednesday that few countries in Asia have signed the 1951 Refugee Convention and even fewer have extended citizenship to refugees.

She added that other Asian countries should follow South Korea's example.

South Korea’s granting of citizenship to the Ethiopian man, who fled persecution in his homeland and arrived in South Korea in 2001, marked the first time Korea has granted citizenship to a refugee since it adopted the 1951 Refugee Convention in 1992.

Although South Korea houses a large number of North Korean escapees, they are automatically considered South Korean citizens and are not considered refugees.