SEOUL - South Korea experiences a spike in the number of applicants for refugee status this year, raising the possibility of setting a record high, a South Korean refugee organization said Tuesday.

In the first six months of this year, South Korea received 386 claims for refugee status compared to 423 in all of 2010, according to NANCEN, or Center for Refugee Rights.

The center expects the country to receive a record number of applicants for refugee status this year if the current trend continues into the second half of the year.

While a total of 3,301 people have applied for refugee status in South Korea since 1994, only 250 have been recognized as refugees, the center said.

The center explained that the rise in the number of refugee claims can be attributed to Taliban attacks that have expanded into Pakistan beyond Afghanistan, conflicts and political turbulence in Central Asia.