[EAI Working Paper] The Multifaceted Nature of Koreans' Multicultural Perceptions

Editor's Note

The East Asia Institute (EAI) has conducted the <Korean Identity> survey four times over the past 15 years (2005-2020). As the first report in the "Korean Life Worlds: Associations, Multiculturalism, Work and Life, Communication" working paper series based on the 2020 survey results, we are publishing a working paper co-authored by Ji-hye Choi, a Master's student at Sungkyunkwan University, and Minhyo Cho, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University. This study multidimensionally analyzes changes in Koreans' attitudes toward multiculturalism and multicultural acceptance. The exclusive attitude towards multiculturalism, which emerged around 2015, was further strengthened in the 2020 survey. In particular, while the proportion recognizing the advantages of a multicultural society increased compared to the past, and vague fear or ignorance towards foreigners decreased, a noticeable indifference towards multiculturalism due to practical and institutional reasons such as job competition has emerged. These research findings suggest the need for a realistic and practical discourse on the costs and benefits of a multicultural society, rather than an emotional and appeal-based approach to multiculturalism.

※ The following is the introduction to this working paper. Please refer to the attached file above for the full text.

I. Introduction

For the first time, the number of foreign residents in Korea has surpassed 2.5 million, making up 4.9% of the total population (Ministry of Justice 2019). Typically, a society is classified as multicultural when the proportion of foreigners exceeds 5% of the total population. Therefore, Korea has moved beyond the stage of "entering a multicultural society" and has truly reached the threshold of a de facto multicultural nation.

Around August 2007, when the number of foreign residents in Korea exceeded one million, a "multiculturalism craze" swept through Korean society. Support policies for foreign residents and marriage immigrant women were legislated, such as the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners in Korea in 2007 and the Multicultural Families Support Act in 2008 (Hwang Jeong-mi 2010). Furthermore, as dedicated multicultural departments were established in various government ministries and local governments (Oh Kyung-seok 2010), criticism arose that the government was undertaking overlapping projects related to multiculturalism (Han Geon-su 2010). The multiculturalism craze at the time was accepted as an unstoppable trend, aligning with the global trend of globalization and preparing for Korea's entry into a multicultural society. However, on the other hand, there was a limitation in that multiculturalism was equated with 'political correctness,' and discourse and consensus on the potential inconveniences or controversies that multiculturalism could bring had not been achieved. In other words, multiculturalism in Korean society existed as a vague discourse that it was "inherently right, regardless of political or academic stance, without experiencing much conflict or division" (Kim Hye-soon 2006). In this context, Korean multiculturalism was also evaluated as 'state-led multiculturalism' (Kim Hee-jung 2007), which concentrated support policies on a few immigrants such as marriage immigrant women, and 'multiculturalism without culture' (Eom Han-jin 2006) (Hwang Jeong-mi 2010).

The perception that multiculturalism is a form of charity from the majority native population to immigrants, without discussing the multi-layered aspects of multiculturalism, carries several risks. Multiculturalism does not simply mean the gathering of various races and nationalities; it touches upon complex and subtle realities, not just abstract concepts like 'morality' or 'human rights.' Kymlicka, a leading theorist who has systematically addressed multiculturalism, argued that most minority immigrant groups wish to preserve their cultures through self-governance, and for this, the majority society needs to grant various group-differentiated rights to minority cultures (Kymlicka 1995; Seol Han 2010). The United States and Western Europe, which have developed multiculturalism over the past few decades, have also experienced intense debates and struggles for social consensus. Between 2010 and 2011, Germany, the UK, and France successively announced the failure of their respective multicultural policies (Kookmin Ilbo 2011).

Koreans, who experienced a state-led multiculturalism craze while suppressing debates on multiculturalism, showed a tolerant attitude towards foreigners but were passive in recognizing them as citizens (Oh Kyung-seok 2010). Scholars have warned that various multicultural conflicts lie dormant beneath the naive, paternalistic attitude of Korean society towards multiculturalism and suggested that a sober reflection on a multicultural society is necessary before these conflicts erupt (Han Geon-su 2010).

Indeed, around 2015, "multicultural fatigue" and "multiculturalism aversion" have been observed in Korea (Yoon In-jin 2016). With the continuous increase in foreign residents, interactions between the Korean majority and immigrants have become more active, bringing issues such as job competition, sham marriages, cultural clashes, and foreign-related crimes to the surface. In particular, the brutal dismemberment murder of a Korean woman by Wu Yuan-chun and Park Chun-bong in 2012 fueled anti-Chinese Korean (Joseonjok) sentiment, and many media outlets and films began to portray Joseonjok as criminals or depict Joseonjok-dense areas as crime havens. Consequently, the 2015 Korean Identity Survey revealed that Koreans had moved away from their past benevolent attitudes towards multiculturalism, realistically recognizing the threats of a multicultural society, and support for multicultural countries had significantly decreased (Hwang Jeong-mi 2016).

The 2020 Korean Identity Survey is important for confirming how the lukewarm attitude towards multiculturalism observed in 2015 has evolved and for considering recent international variables alongside Koreans' perceptions of multiculturalism. The international community, having experienced terrorist attacks by Islamic armed groups that shook Europe in 2015-2016, the election of Trump advocating for "American First" nationalism in the United States, which once championed diversity, the refugee crisis in Jeju Island in 2018, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, is now prioritizing protection over openness and national security over exchange. In this context, Koreans' perceptions of multiculturalism are unlikely to be uniform, and complex thinking will likely underlie their preferences for multiculturalism and acceptance of immigrants. Therefore, questions can be raised about the patterns of Koreans' perceptions of multiculturalization in Korea, who holds the most exclusive attitudes towards multiculturalism, and for what reasons they reject multiculturalism.

This study examined the trend of multiculturalism in Korea by investigating Koreans' perceptions of multiculturalization, multicultural acceptance, and attitudes toward multicultural minorities. The data used for the study were from the Korean Identity Survey jointly organized by the East Asia Institute and the Center for East Asian Co-existence and Cooperation Research at Sungkyunkwan University. The sample was drawn by applying proportional allocation by gender, age, and region, based on the resident registration population as of April 2020, followed by random sampling, targeting adults aged 18 and above. The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews by Korea Research interviewers from May 6 to May 27, 2020, securing 10,003 respondents. Furthermore, by comparing the responses from the 2005 (sample size 1,038), 2010 (sample size 1,091), and 2015 (sample size 1,006) surveys, conducted by Korea Research using the same sampling method and face-to-face interviews, we aimed to identify the long-term trends of multiculturalization in Korea and the characteristics that became prominent in 2020.

■ Author: Ji-hye Choi_Received a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration from Sungkyunkwan University in 2019 and is currently pursuing a Master's degree at the Graduate School of Governance, Sungkyunkwan University. Her main areas of interest include the analysis and evaluation of social policies such as welfare, healthcare, big data, and education. Recent publications include "A Study on the Policy Change Process of the Kindergarten Three Acts - Focusing on the Fast-Track Bill System and Reciprocal Dialogue" (2020, co-authored), "Social Issues of Healthcare Big Data and Healthcare Platforms: A Case Study of the 'Healthcare Big Data Platform' Pilot Project" (2020, co-authored), and "Analysis of the Policy Change Process of Health Insurance Coverage Enhancement Measures Using Kingdon's Multiple Streams Model" (2019, co-authored).

■ Author: Minhyo Cho_Professor at the Department of Public Administration and the Graduate School of Governance, Sungkyunkwan University. He received a Ph.D. in Policy from the University of Chicago and has served as a member of the practical committee of the Social Security Commission and the chairman of the research committee of the Korean Association for Public Administration. His main research areas include policy evaluation, welfare policy, education and employment policy, and immigration policy. Recent publications include "Analysis of the Policy-Making Process of the Instructor Act" (2020, co-authored), "Analysis of the Policy Change Process of Health Insurance Coverage Enhancement Measures Using Kingdon's Multiple Streams Model" (2020, co-authored), "A Study on the Labor Market Transition of Low-Income Elderly" (2019, co-authored), "Examining the Effects of the Durunuri Programme on Low-wage Workers’ Social Insurance Coverage in South Korea" (2019, co-authored), "A Study on the Impact of Introducing Happy (Public) Dormitories on Rental Prices in University Neighborhoods: Utilizing Seoul Big Data Campus" (2018, co-authored), and "Exploring the Acculturation Profiles and Adaptation of Children of Multiethnic Families in South Korea" (2016).

■ Managed and Edited by: Juwon Seo, EAI Research Fellow

Inquiries: 02 2277 1683 (ext. 206) jwseo@eai.or.kr

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