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In Korea, Immigration policy is handled by immigration service of Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Nationality act, Immigration Control Act, Multicultural Families Support Act, and Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners are foundation of immigration policy of Korea. Korean government initiated a discussion whether to establish independent Immigration Office to accommodate fast growing immigrant and to prepare inclusive and rational immigration policies, from 2003, without many progresses. Currently, Foreigner Policy Committee which is headed by the Prime Minister is coordinating foreigner related policies which were handled by many ministries. However, its role is limited because of the short of resources and manpower. Establishment of Immigration Office is expected to solve these problems by concentrating all the related resources and manpower under one umbrella. According to the UN Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration (revised in 1998), long-term international immigration is recorded after an individual enters a country and establishes his usual place of residence there for one year or more. So, When Korea government build new policies, immigrant laborers and children of illegal migrants should be counted to follow this guideline.
History
Korea as a sending country
Korea used to be a sending country which sent farmers, miners, nurses, and workers to the U.S., Germany, and Middle East. Korean Diasporas around the world are 6.82 millions as of 2009. There are 2.34 million Koreans in China and 2.1 million Korean Americans. Total number of Korean Diaspora which reached 7 million in 2007 was declined by 0.22 million in 2009.
Korea as a receiving country
After 1988 Seoul Olympics, Korea opened its boarder to general public and resulted in increased exchanges with foreign countries. The UN declared Korea as an official receiving country in 2007. Foreigners in Korea grow from 0.39 million (1997) to 1 million (2007) in 10 years. Among these, temporary laborers are 0.63 million and foreigners who marry Korean nationals are also 0.10 million. The number of illegal immigrants are 0.23 million. Main sending countries are mostly Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, Mongolia, Philippines, and Bangladesh. But some immigrants come from Nigeria, Ghana, Russia, and the U.S. with various reasons.
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Background of growing immigrant population
Rapid economic growth of Korea
Korea experienced government initiated rapid economic growth from 1970s called ‘the miracle of Han river’. Until the end of 1980s Korea can sustain its development without foreign laborers because it has enough cheap and skilled laborers. However, from the 1990s, low birth rate and growing payroll cost caused labor shortage especially in 3d sectors.
Young women shortage in rural area
With development and urbanization, many people left rural area. Young people headed for the city in search of better job and better living standard. As a tradition of agrarian and Confucian society, the eldest sons left behind with their parents. This trend caused chronic shortage of the marriageable age women in rural area. International marriage started in rural area started as a demand side market performance. So, most international marriage cases are handled by dating service companies with commission.
Current immigrant policies
Nationality act
After June 14, 1998 which is the effective date of current nationality act, those who has at least one Korean parent are automatically granted Korean nationality from birth, regardless of their decisions on whether to choose the nationality of the foreign parent or the country of birth (if born outside Korea).
Requirements for General Naturalization are as follows. Must have had domicile address in R.O.K. for more than 5 consecutive years. Must be legally adult according to Korean Civil Law. Must have good conduct. Must have the ability to maintain living on his/her own assets or skills; or is a dependent member of a family capable of the feat. Applicants must have basic knowledge befitting a Korean national; such as understanding of the Korean language, customs and culture.
A new national plan for Immigration Policy
Vision: World class Korea where foreigners live in harmony with Koreans
Enhancing national competitiveness with a proactive openness policy
1. Securing growth engines by attracting talent
2. Attracting foreign workers for balanced national development
3. Creating a foreigner-friendly living environment
Pursuing quality social integration
1. Promoting understanding of a multiculural society
2. Helping immigrants through marriage get settled
3. Creating a sound environment for multicultural children
4. Creating a friendly environment for Korean diaspora
Enforcing immigration laws
1. Enforcing immigration laws
2. Managing borders and information on foreigners to protect national security
3. Securing solid citizens
Protecting human rights of foreigners
1. Preventing discrimination and protecting human rights
2. Protecting human rights of foreigners in detention
3. Establishing an advanced system for determining refugee status and supporting refugees
Issues with current immigrant policies
As described in the new national plan for Immigration Policy, Korea government claims World class Korea where foreigners live in harmony with Koreans. However, some critics denounce that Korean government’s goals, strategies, policies are all fundamentally discriminative.
Temporary workers and illegal immigrants
Since 1991 Korea has experienced a large influx of foreign workers. The Korean government has utilized trainee programs since 1992. About 10,000 Asian workers came to Korea under this program in 1992, and there were about 57,000 trainees in Korea in June 1996. However, the trainee program produced problems: the trainees tended to become undocumented workers due to wage differentials, and the trainees were not protected by the Labor Standard Law because they were not classified as laborers. The Employment Permit Program for foreigners, the government’s new foreign labor policy since 2004 is understood as a product achieved by a decade of interaction between Korean citizens and foreign migrant workers. However, these issues have more details to be resolved. On the legal dimension, the Korean state still allows foreigners to enter mainly for low-wage jobs and excludes them from social benefits. The social dimension of hierarchical nationhood is shown by public opinion data of Korean citizens towards foreign workers which represent deep rooted discrimination.
Foreign brides and children of multicultural families
The treatment of foreign brides in Korea and their multicultural children is clearly growing into a major political issue now. It’s in the newspapers a lot, and the debate on multiculturalism more generally is firing up. Sending countries are likely to worry about their immigrants, because of deep rooted discrimination against foreigners (except for Westerners) in Korea. Now, most immigration into Korea comes from Southeast Asia, and immigrant treatment, particularly if there is abuse of foreign brides, is likely to provoke not only domestic problems, but also diplomatic tension. Koreans are deeply unsure about immigration. What immigration there has been, is frequently so focused on the birth-rate problem that it is more properly called bride-importing than immigration.
Notes and references
- Jaehong Kim. "[Interview] Head of immigration service".
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|source=ignored (help) - http://www.korean.net/morgue/status_1.jsp?tCode=status&dCode=0101.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|Title=ignored (|title=suggested) (help) - http://www.kosis.kr/static/teen/teen02/1172950_1499.jsp.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|Title=ignored (|title=suggested) (help) - Paper= Global migration and South Korea: foreign workers, foreign brides and the making of a multicultural society (Ethnic and Racial Studies Vol. 32 No. 1 January 2009 pp. 70-92, Andrew Eungi Kim)
- http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/InfoDetailR_en.pt?cttSeq=&categoryId=2&parentId=410&catSeq=500&showMenuId=381.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM/icc/basicplan.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - http://www.kpil.org/opboard/viewbody.php?code=column&page=5&id=143&number=143&keyfield=&key=&category=&BoardType=&admin=.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|Source=ignored (help) - http://asiansecurityblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/koreas-slow-boiling-demographic-crisis/.
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