1 Dong-Hoon Seol Chonbuk National University  Paper prepared International Conference on  the Human Rights of Migrants in a Multicultural Society:  Dignity and Justice for All Migrants.  Organized by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.  Seoul Plaza Hotel, November 11, Migrants’ Citizenship in Korea: With Focus on Migrant Workers and Marriage-Based Immigrants

2 I. Introduction  Challenge of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural situations  - One million foreign residents in Korea in August 2007  - Myth of “ethnically homogeneous society”  - Myth of “not immigrant country.”  The Korea government’s policy response to the multi-ethnic and multicultural situations

3 II. Types of Migrants Incorporations: State’s Policy Response to Multicultural Situations Four Categories (Castels and Miller 2003) 1) United States: multiculturalist and laissez-faire model (salad bowl). 2) Canada: multiculturalist and the state’s intervention model (ethnic mosaic, or rainbow coalition). 3) France: assimilationist model (melting pot) 4) German and Asian model: differential exclusionary model. Not immigrant country. guest (assimilationist or migrant) worker program. Korea? Independent model or not? Need to do comparative analysis.

4 The Integration Type of Immigrants/Migrant Workers in Selected Host Societies jus soli jus domicili jus sanguinis The standard for naturalization exclusionary modelassimilationist modelmulticultural model The integration methods of foreigners Canada Australia New Zealand Sweden Ⅱ UK Ireland France Holland Italy Ⅲ Germany Belgium Austria, Switzerland Singapore, Malaysia Thailand, Hong Kong Taiwan, Japan Korea Ⅳ Ⅰ USA

5 III. Immigration and the Emergence of Multicultural Society in Korea Labor migration and marriage migration 1) Migrant workers: over 400 thousand - Mostly from Asian countries - Less-skilled workers 2) Foreign Spouses: over 150 thousand - international marriage with Koreans

III-1. Inflow of Foreign Migrant Workers  Migration transition: from labor sending to receiving country  - turning point: 1987  Policies: Training Program to Work-Permit Program  1) Training Program: ITTP  - Notorious “training program” – denial of “worker status”  - Trainees without actual training – disguised migrant workers  - Human rights violation: i.e. industrial accidents  - The logic of developmental state  2) Work-Permit Program: EPP since

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Unpaid wages 8

NGOs’ protest 9

III-2. Inflow of Foreign Spouses  Marriage Migration: Global economy, Sending and Receiving Countries, and Intermediate Agencies  The uneven development among countries in the global economy and the consequently encouraged commercialization of women  The country of origin’s patriarchal culture and government that seem indifferent or covertly encourage female migration in order for a solution to the country’s poverty and unemployment  The same of the destination country that promote such migration as a way to solve its lack of young female population for marriage  The marriage agencies that benefit from the aforementioned structural problems 10

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Group meeting in Viet Nam

Wedding 13

International couple with marriage broker 14

Problems of international marriage couples  More than one fifth of the wives said that the information on their husband they had received before marriage was not true.  The majority of such experiences come from the couples made through marriage agencies with the percentage of 44.  Critical problems of cross-border marriage are mostly rising from the cases of marriage agencies.  Regulations and monitoring over such agencies are vitally required.  More than 57% of international marriage couples are live in under the poverty line. 15

IV. Citizenship Issues of Migrants in Korea  IV-1. Migrant Workers’ Citizenship  EPP – a work permit system which provide them with a status of worker for less-skilled foreign migrant workers  - Two basic principles: (1) “Priority to native employment” or “Supplement of labor market” (2) Equal Treatment for the Same Labor  - Foreign migrant workers employment law  - Government or public agency importing model  - Employers also get a employment permission from the government  - Migrant workers’ transference to another company’s are allowed by the government permission. 16

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IV-2. Marriage-Based Immigrants and Citizenship  Comprehensive measure to marriage-based immigrants and their families: “Grand Plan” of April 26, 2006  According to the “Grand Plan” of April 26, 2006, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family became the leading and major coordinating department, and other ministries including the Ministry of Justice, Labor, Health and Welfare, and local and central government departments had to participate in the Grand Plan  The vision of the Grand Plan is “a social integration of foreign wives and an attainment of a multicultural society.” 18

Comprehensive measure to marriage-based immigrants and their families: “Grand Plan” of April 26, 2006  The major policies are seven: (1) Regulation of international marriage agencies and protection of foreign wives before entry to Korea; (2) Support for victims of domestic violence; (3) Support and orientation for newly arrived foreign wives; (4) Support for Children of international marriages in schools; (5) Providing social welfare to foreign wives; (6) Raising social awareness of multicultural issues; and (7) Making a comprehensive project. 19

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22 V. Conclusion  1. Great achievement: Korea government’s policies  - Abolishment of the ITTP  EPP in action  - Grand Plan in action  2. Keeping global standards of migrants’ human rights  - International norms of human rights  - National Human Rights Commission  - NGOs activities  3. Limitation:  The target group of the Korea government’s integration policies is just foreign spouses not guest workers.