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The challenge of becoming a ‘multiethnic Korea’ in the 21st century

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In Brief

With the number of foreign residents in South Korea exceeding one million as of May 2009, many scholars, journalists, and bureaucrats claim that Korea has become a multiethnic or multicultural society. This idea needs to be put in proper perspective. The total number of foreign residents in Korea, the majority of whom are temporarily visiting migrants or students, accounts for only 2.2 per cent of the country’s total population. In addition, Chinese residents represent, at 57 per cent, the highest share of these foreign residents, and about half of these Chinese residents have Korean ancestry. Korean society is still largely ethnically homogeneous and racially distinctive, and the term ‘multiethnic Korea’ remains an unconvincing descriptor.

In addition, many Koreans are yet to accept that Korea is in the midst of a demographic shift.

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For many, Korea is a homogeneous nation that should maintain a strong ethnic national identity based on shared blood and ancestry. This identity has become a totalitarian force in politics, culture and society. Korean national pride in being a single-race state is driving discrimination and prejudice against those who are not seen as ‘pure’ Koreans. To make matters worse, Korea lacks an institutional framework to promote a democratic national identity that would allow for more diversity and tolerance. Consequently, many foreign residents have limited access to medical care, education and welfare. This means that many foreigners resident in Korea feel increased antagonism toward Korean society.

With the number of foreigners in Korea increasing rapidly, the Korean government faces the urgent responsibility of ensuring that they can live in peaceful co-existence with ethnic Koreans. Both the Korean media and concerned Korean scholars have argued that anti-Korean sentiments held by foreign residents are damaging the national pride and competitiveness of Korea. The United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued a warning in August 2007, saying that ‘Korea has to embrace the multi-ethnic character of contemporary Korean society, and the image of an ethnically-homogeneous Korea is now a thing of the past.’

Korea has acted in response to these concerns. In 2005, the Korean government officially recognised the concept of ‘multiculturalism’, and established a wide-range of multicultural institutes, policies, and practices. These developments were specifically designed to support a special group; families with foreign spouses. Subsequently, 2008 saw the enacting of ‘The Act to Support Multicultural Families’ building upon the 2005 decision in a systematic way by providing multicultural families with welfare benefits such as medical care, schooling, cultural and leisure activities, and social networks.

Despite this progress, ‘multicultural policies’ do not apply to other migrant groups, notably foreign workers resident in Korea. As of October 2009, there were about 700,000 people classified as migrant workers in Korea. These workers are covered by the ‘Employment Permit System’ (EPS), introduced in 2004, which allows small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to employ workers from 15 approved countries (workers come mainly from China, Vietnam, Philippines, and Thailand). The workers come for the so called ‘3D – dirty, dangerous, and difficult’ jobs. The EPS replaced the Industrial Trainee System (ITS) which was heavily criticised for not preserving the human rights of migrant workers.

The EPS is not without flaws. For example, workers under the EPS are bound to their employers for a three-year period, during which they are forbidden to change jobs without their employer’s permission. Workers may shift employment only four times in total, and must find a new job within two months of unemployment in order to stay in Korea – they otherwise become undocumented. It is noted that the number of undocumented migrant workers has decreased since the introduction of the EPS.

Once workers are classified as undocumented, they face harsher treatment. Crackdown and forced deportation is the government’s key policy to get rid of undocumented migrants, and 23 detention facilities have been set up nationwide. On February 11, 2007, a fire in Yeosu Foreigner’s Detention Center killed 10 migrants who were being held there until deportation. This tragedy shocked Korean society, revealing the brutal conditions and human rights abuses faced by migrant workers in detention facilities. The Yeosu case led to constant protests against Korea’s current labor migration policies by a coalition of Korean migrant workers, local unions, and international labor and human rights organisations, demanding that the human rights of migrant workers be upheld.

The global economy has produced a diversified landscape of international migration, and Korea, as an active participant, has changed as a result. The influx of migrant workers and foreign spouses to Korea has drastically changed the country’s demographic make-up. For Korea, becoming a multiethnic society is no longer a matter of choice, but a reality that must be lived with.

The road towards becoming a truly multiethnic society still seems long and arduous, and presents many challenges. Nonetheless, in the early stages of the transition, the Korean government’s tentative multicultural policies suggest that there is room for optimism. It may take Korea a long time to fully embrace ethnic diversity, but by carefully taking one step at a time, the road to reform will become easier.

Kyoung-Hee Moon is assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Changwon National University, Korea.

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