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UNHCR lauds S. Korean captain for saving hundreds of asylum seekers

All News 10:50 September 23, 2014

SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean office of the United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday its head has expressed gratitude to the captain of a local ship who rescued hundreds of asylum seekers on a wrecked vessel earlier this month in the Mediterranean.

The freighter AMS Pegasus, owned by South Korea's No. 4 shipper Korea Line Corp., rescued 387 people on a wooden boat in distress on Sept. 11 near the Sicily Island of Italy, according to the Korea Shipowners' Association.

Many of the people aboard are believed to be asylum seekers from Egypt, Syria, Somalia, Palestine and Sudan who had been drifting for about 15 days without enough food and water.

Dirk Hebecker, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in South Korea, expressed gratitude to captain Cho Myeong-seon and his crew during a conversation with the captain on Monday, calling his rescue "a courageous act," according to the agency.

"Often commercial ships turn a blind eye to these boats in need of help and do not extend their help. Every time we have a case like yours, we really welcome (it)," Hebecker said.

Cho said that the rescue operation was "his duty," adding that he was "grateful for the opportunity to save the lives," according to the U.N. agency.

Hebecker also said that cases such as Cho's rescue will be mentioned and discussed during the High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges to be held on Dec. 10-11 in Geneva, the agency added.

This year's dialogue to be chaired by UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres will bring together governments, civic organizations and academics to exchange views on issues including rescue and disembarkation under the theme of "protection at sea."

sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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