Multiculturalism in South Korea by the Early 2000s

Multiculturalism in South Korea by the Early 2000s
During the modern era of globalization that motivates personal and cultural differences between different people across the globe, the concept of acknowledging and respecting other people’s cultures is more substantial. South Korea has experienced an increase in the number of foreigners since the 1988 Olympic Games. Foreigners residing in the country by august 2007 were approximately 1 million, representing 1% of the nation’s total population. South Korea’s economic developments have enabled its citizens to travel worldwide and companies to establish themselves overseas while looking for new markets and lower labor costs. South Korea has transformed into a multiethnic society due to the increased entry of foreign workers, international marriages, and many North Korean migrants and ethnic Koreans from China.[Yeogmi Yun and Ki-cheol Park, “AN ANALYSIS of CHARACTERISTICS of KOREA’S MULTICULTURALISM: POLICIES and PROSPECTS,” The Journal of East Asian Affairs 25, no. 2 (2011): 131–61.]
Minorities from multiple races and cultural backgrounds in South Korea have increased and required artistic attention and intervention. The number of registered foreigners in South Korea by 2007 was 1,066,291. More than 400,000 employees worked in the 3-D industries, where most South Koreans were not interested. In 2007, approximately 110,000 entered the country to marry South Korean wives and husbands, increasing international marriages to about 364,000 between 1990 and 2007. In 2005, approximately 13% of all South Korean marriages were interracial, and their rates were higher in rural regions. North Korean refugees entered South Korea after the Korean War in 1953 but increased in the 1990s due to economic challenges and political prosecutions in North Korea. In 2007, there were 100,000 North Korean immigrants, and statistics indicated that the nation had entered another phase of multicultural transformation. With the current trend, the percentage of foreigners living in South Korea is expected to increase by 2050 significantly.[Yeogmi Yun and Ki-cheol Park, “AN ANALYSIS of CHARACTERISTICS of KOREA’S MULTICULTURALISM: POLICIES and PROSPECTS,” The Journal of East Asian Affairs 25, no. 2 (2011): 131–61.]
South Korea has experienced significant changes from being a homogeneous nation to a multicultural one in multiple aspects.
Attitudes towards Multiculturalism
It is not easy to entirely define the concept of multiculturalism since it reflects multiple values. However, it acknowledges and respects various cultures instead of amalgamating them into the leading culture. The South Korean government policies actualized multicultural values and ideologies by providing equal opportunities to every person in the country and eradicating discrimination based on nationality and cultural differences.
Attitudes towards Cultural Diversity
The 2003 KGSS information and data gathered from the 2007 Koreans’ Conflict Consciousness Survey examined Koreans’ attitudes toward cultural diversity. The 2003 KGGS results indicated that South Koreans embraced cultural diversity. The data stipulated that South Koreans believed in the significance of Korean traditions and customs but embraced other people’s cultures in their country. Also, they have a positive attitude towards foreigners since the data stated that South Koreans supported their government’s actions of assisting ethnic minorities to preserve their customs and traditions. The 2007 Conflict Consciousness Survey data indicated how South Koreans are generous in their attitudes towards cultural diversity compared to the data collected in 2003. For instance, on the statement, whether it is impossible for individuals not sharing the traditions and culture of South Korea to become a South Korean fully. 55% of interviewees agreed in 2003, while 23% disagreed. In 2007, 38% of interviewees agreed with the same statement, while 32.9% disagreed. In 2003, 43% of respondents agreed with the information that claimed it is better for a nation if foreigners maintain their customs and traditions, while 46.75% of respondents in 2007 agreed. The two results indicate South Koreans have generous attitudes toward minorities’ cultural diversity, and the trend is moving positively.[ICPSR, “Korean General Social Survey (KGSS), 2003,” , 2015.] [박길성 et al., “한국인의 갈등의식조사, 2007,” Kossda.snu.ac.kr, 2010.]
Attitudes towards Foreigners
Korean’s attitude toward foreigners in the early 2000s was examined by the 2006 Korean Consciousness and Value Survey. The results indicated that South Koreans do not exclude foreigners as many believe. However, their attitudes are different depending on the foreigners’ nationality. 83% of the respondents replied that South Koreans are compassionate to foreigners from developed nations, while 30% deduced that Koreans are considerate to foreigners from third-world countries. Also, 72% of respondents claimed they have different feelings about foreigners of different cultures. In 2003 KGSS, respondents answered multiple questions to determine their attitudes towards people from other cultures who come to Korea to live. 32% of the respondents agreed with the statement claiming that immigrants increase the crime rate, while 37% disagreed.[ICPSR, “Korean General Social Survey (KGSS), 2003,” , 2015.]
Also, 53% of the respondents agreed with the statement stipulating that immigrants are suitable for the nation’s economy, while 16% disagreed. Lastly, 28% of respondents agreed with the statement saying that immigrants improve society by introducing new ideas and cultures, while 26% disagreed. The high tolerance rate and positive attitude towards individuals from different cultures surprised the world ...