SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea refused Wednesday to grant refugee status to hundreds of Yemenis who fled the catastrophic war in their home country, allowing them to stay here only on temporary humanitarian visas.

More than 500 Yemenis landed in Jeju, a tourist island off the southern coast of South Korea, in the first five months of this year, capitalizing on the island’s no-visa entry policy.

Taken aback by the sudden influx of asylum seekers and a public outcry over their arrival, the central government withdrew the no-visa benefit for Yemenis in June. It also banned the Yemenis from leaving for mainland South Korea, stranding about 480 of them on the island while their applications for refugee status were reviewed.

After months of screening, the Justice Ministry on Wednesday decided against granting refugee status to any of the Yemenis.