On Wednesday, a group of Koryoin (ethnic Koreans living in Central Asia, Ukraine, and Russia) fleeing the Ukraine war arrived in South Korea to look for a new home.

According to Korean Cooperative, commonly known as Koryoin Village, a Gwangju-based incorporated association representing ethnic Koreans, the latest group to arrive comprises eight children and babies, as well as 13 mothers.

Following the arrival of a 10-year-old girl from Ukraine earlier this month after seeking refuge in Budapest, Hungary, about 30 people, including children, women, and elderly, will arrive in the country this week alone.

"Our objective is to bring another 100 people here," said a Koryoin Village official who asked to remain unnamed.

According to the official, there are currently 300 Ukrainian nationals living in Koryoin Village, a town for Koryoin in the southwestern city of Gwangju. They have relatives and family in the war-torn country.

When they begged for assistance, the local community rose up, donating over 33 million won ($27,319) in March through individual and group donations to Koryoin Village.

The Gwangju Catholic Archdiocese has donated 15 plane tickets, while the Gwangju YMCA has donated 2.5 million won.

According to the list provided by the incorporated association, it also received several small cash gifts ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 won from individuals.

Koryoin have nowhere else to go, according to Shin Jo-ya, the head of Koryoin Village and a Koryoin herself.

"Apart from South Korea, no other countries have offered assistance. "South Koreans have showed incredible compassion for these refugees escaping a war-torn country," she remarked.

"Korea is our Korean people's, Koryoin's, country. "Where else would they go?" says the narrator.

Koryoin, also known as Koryo-saram, literally means "people of Korea." In post-Soviet states such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, an estimated 500,000 ethnic Koreans live.

Their arrival in the United States dates back to the nineteenth century. With Korea's Joseon Dynasty on the collapse, some Koreans abandoned the country and relocated to Russia.

"They are the offspring of our freedom fighters." Other ethnic groups returned to their home countries after the Soviet Union dissolved, but the Koryoin were left alone in Central Asia and neglected by the South Korean government, according to a Koryoin Village official who requested anonymity.

"With many Koryoin in a difficult situation as a result of the Ukraine war, but receiving little attention or assistance in transferring to a safer location, they have called for our assistance, and we have chosen to step in." "Now the media has picked up our tale," the official stated.

The government has been pushed to do more.

Neomeo, a Koryoin-representative incorporated association based in Gyeonggi, has urged the government to issue emergency travel visas and expedite the immigration procedure for Koryoin in Ukraine.

"Approximately 15,000 Koryoin and their family members living in Ukraine are fleeing the nation as refugees due to threats to their life and the possibility of war," the association stated in a statement.

People intending to travel to Korea via Ukraine's neighboring countries, such as Poland and Romania, are encountering difficulties, since some have misplaced their identity documents and passports, making it impossible to obtain visas, according to the association.

"We call on the government to provide assistance so that Koryoin refugees who want to return home can do so as quickly as possible," the group said.

Shin claims she has been able to assist Koryoins with family members in Korea who wish to keep their passports.

"Those who have family here talked over the phone and sent images of their passports to each other. This way, we'll be able to buy a plane ticket and assist them in getting here."

But, she noted, it's difficult to assist individuals who don't have identity.

In light of this, the Ministry of Justice stated on Tuesday that it would broaden the scope of family visas granted to Ukrainians and Koreans with relatives in the Eastern European country.

According to Justice Ministry data, there were 3,831 Ukrainians living in South Korea in February, with 2,413 of them being compatriots.

164 Ukrainian nationals entered South Korea between March 8 and 27.