Afghan arrivals test South Korea's tolerance for refugees

Children excited to join new society, but parents worry about jobs and housing

20211018 Afghan evacuees arrive in South Korea

Afghans who supported the South Korean government's activities in Afghanistan arrive at Incheon International Airport near Seoul on August 26. © Reuters

KIM JAEWON, Nikkei staff writer

JINCHEON, South Korea -- Sporting white Adidas uniforms, a group of recently arrived Afghan children practiced taekwondo kicks on the grounds of a South Korean government agency. Taking advantage of last week's warm autumn sun, a father kicked a soccer ball with his son on the other side of the field.

"I am happy to practice taekwondo with no hijab," a 13-year-old girl said through a translator, asking not to be named. "There were no freedoms for girls in my home country. But here I can learn freely."

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