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Immigration to South Korea

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Immigration to South Korea (Korean: 한국으로의 이민) is low due to restrictive immigration policies resulting from strong opposition to immigrants from the general Korean public.[1] However, in recent years with the loosening of the law, influx of immigrants into South Korea has been on the rise, with foreign residents accounting for 4.9% of the total population in 2019.[2] Between 1990 and 2020, South Korea's migrant population has grown 3.896%, second highest level of growth in the world.[3]

According to the United Nations, in 2019 foreign born residents represented 2.3% of the total population, which is below the world average of 3.5%.[4]

History

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Those who have at least one South Korean parent are automatically granted South 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 South Korea).

Requirements for General Naturalization include:

  • Must have had domicile address in South Korea for more than five consecutive years
  • Must be a legal adult according to South 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 so capable. Applicants must have basic knowledge befitting a South Korean national; such as understanding of the Korean language, customs and culture

In 2007 the UN declared South Korea an official receiving country. The number of foreigners in South Korea grew from 390,000 in 1997 to 1 million in 2007. Among these are 630,000 temporary laborers, as well as 100,000 foreigners married to South Korean nationals. Furthermore, there are 230,000 illegal immigrants.

Main sending countries are Asian countries, such as China, Vietnam, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Uzbekistan. There are also migrants from Nigeria, Ghana, Russia, and the United States.[5]

Nominally, the South Korean government says it wants to create a multicultural society and foreigner-friendly environment.[6]

Issues facing immigrants

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The number of immigrants in South Korea has increased since 2000, [7] but immigrants have problems adjusting due to various issues. Some issues facing immigrants are low wages, lack of support systems, language barriers, and difficulty gaining citizenship. The Ministry of Justice established the Korea Immigration & Integration Program (KIIP), to help immigrants adjust and integrate into the new society [26]. Another problem Immigrants face is discrimination. Bum Jung Kim and Fernando Torres-Gil made the following assessment, “Unfortunately, despite its economic need for immigrant labor, Korean society has not been able to move past its deeply rooted “pure blood” ideology”.[8]

 This ideology is firmly ingrained in Korean society, but the need for foreign immigration is undeniable.

Visa Options

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South Korea currently has a variety of long-term visa options for those interested in residing in the country. The S-3 work visa is available to foreigners employed by Korean employers. The D-2 student visa is available to foreigners enrolled in an eligible university or language program. South Korea also offers a temporary resident visa which allows stays for up to five years, known as the F-4 visa. There is the F-2 visa, which allows residency by marrying a South Korean citizen. The initial permit is issued for three years, then an application for the F5 can be submitted. The F-5 allows permanent residency or long-term status extension. To keep this visa, visits to Korea every two years are required, and the visa needs to be renewed after ten years. Marrying a Korean citizen is a requirement to obtain Korean citizenship. Permanent residency can also be obtained through business investments. The C-2 business visa is available if you start a business in South Korea or invest in an existing business. It can be renewed as a permanent visa. All visas will take two to four weeks to process and have associated fees.[9] E-7-4 is a long-term residency visa that requires residing in the country for four out of the last ten years, a minimum salary of 25 million KRW, and an endorsement by the company of employment. A point system is used during the application process. Higher points are assigned for higher salary, lower age, and higher language proficiency scores. Additional points can be added and/or deducted for various reasons.[10]

Initiatives

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South Korea has projected a 40% decline in domestic university enrollments. Due to this projected decline the Korean Council for University Education (KCEU), implemented new programs to encourage the enrollment of foreign students. These changes have lowered the financial balance requirement for D-2 visas from $20,000 USD to $15,000 USD. The D-4 visas have been reduced from $10,000 to US$7,600. The Ministry for the Korean Immigration Service has relaxed the rules for students who want to reside in South Korea after graduation. The long-term E7-4 visa resident requirement has been reduced from five to four years. The government has also relaxed hiring restrictions for foreign workers.[11]

According to ICEF Monitor, “This last point appears to reflect a turn in Korean policy toward a more open immigration policy aimed at attracting greater numbers of skilled foreign graduates. . .”.[11]

Issues with current immigrant policies

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As described in the new national plan for immigration policy, the government claims a "world-class South Korea" welcoming of foreigners. However, critics argue that the government's goals and policies are fundamentally discriminatory, stemming from racist attitudes in the country and ethnic nationalism.[12] In response, the South Korean government introduced new regulations in April 2014, which meant foreign spouses would have to pass a Korean-language proficiency test and earn a minimum wage of $14,000.[13][14]

Temporary workers and illegal immigrants

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Since 1991 South Korea has experienced a large influx of foreign workers. Approximately 10,000 Asian workers came to South Korea under a newly established trainee program in 1992. In June 1996, there were 57,000 trainees in South Korea. Despite its growth, the trainee program also had problems—namely that the trainees became undocumented workers due to wage differentials, and that they were not protected by the Labor Standard Law as they were not considered laborers.

Since 2004, the South Korean government has followed the "Employment Permit Program" for foreigners, the product of a decade of interaction between Korean citizens and foreign migrant workers. Legally, foreigners are allowed to enter mainly to fulfill low-wage jobs, and they are excluded from receiving social services. Public opinion data shows that Korean citizens retain a discriminatory attitude towards foreign workers.

Immigration violations of human rights

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There are many reports from legal and illegal immigrants who have been jailed in South Korea because of small problems or misunderstanding or overstaying their visas for a long time. Also, there are some reports about beating and abusing the prisoners. South Korean immigration however paid for the deportation ticket and made sure they are integrated in their new homes.

Foreign brides and children of multiethnic families

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Foreign brides and their multicultural children are growing into a major political issue. Sending countries are likely to worry about their immigrants due to deep-rooted discrimination against foreigners in South Korea. Now, most immigration into South 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. What immigration there has been, is frequently so focused on the birth-rate problem that it is more properly called bride-importing than immigration.[15]

Onnurian
Hangul
온누리안
Revised RomanizationOnnurian
McCune–ReischauerOnnurian

The term "onnurian" refer to a person of mixed heritage, most commonly applied to children of a South Korean father and a Southeast Asian mother.[16] Another term, "Kosian", was coined in 1997 by intercultural families to refer to themselves,[17] but its use spread in the early 2000s as international marriages became increasingly common in rural areas.[18] The term is now considered offensive by some who prefer to identify simply as ethnically Korean.[19][20]

Number of spouses from western countries settling in the country with South Korean spouses has also been on a consistent rise.[21]

Spouses of South Korean nationals can acquire South Korean citizenship more easily than other foreigners, which encourages thousands of spouses to naturalize every year.

The government of South Korea initiated a discussion whether to establish independent Immigration Office to accommodate fast-growing immigration and to prepare inclusive and rational immigration policies, from 2003, without progress. The Foreigner Policy Committee headed by the South Korean prime minister is responsible for coordinating the country's policies concerning foreigners, which had formerly been handled by multiple ministries. However, its role is limited due to a shortage of resources and manpower. Establishing an Immigration Office is expected to solve these problems by concentrating all the related resources and manpower under one umbrella.[22]

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 more than a year. Therefore, when the South Korea government builds new policies, immigrant laborers and children of illegal migrants should be counted to follow this guideline.

South Korea is a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The South Korean government is the ultimate authority to determine who is eligible to receive refugee status in South Korea.

Migrant laborers

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The South Korean economy grew almost non-stop from near zero to over a trillion dollars in less than half a century

South Korea used to be a net sender of immigrants until 2007, sending farmers, miners, nurses, and workers to the United States, Germany, and the Middle East. The ethnic Korean diaspora numbers 7.49 million as of 2019, including 2.54 million in the United States and 2.46 million in China.[23]

South Korea experienced government-initiated rapid economic growth from the 1960s on, which has been called the "Miracle on the Han River". Until the end of 1980s, South Korea was able to sustain its growth without foreign laborers because of its abundant young population and low wages. But starting from the 1990s, South Korea's plummeting birth rate and growing cost of labor caused labor shortages especially in the so-called "3D jobs" (for "dirty, dangerous, and difficult"), which translated into demand for foreign labor.

Economic development and urbanization led many people to leave rural areas and move to cites. However, according to traditional Confucian norms which a lot of older South Koreans still adhere to, the eldest son must remain with his parents. Chronic shortages of women arose in rural areas, and international marriages began to fill this unmet demand.

Many migrant workers live in the industrial suburbs of Gyeonggi Province such as Siheung and Ansan, where foreigners account for 7.6% of the population.[24]

Statistics

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Nationality of foreign nationals

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There are 2,507,584 foreign nationals in South Korea as of December 2023.[25] Among them, 625,663 are short-term residents. These figures exclude foreign-born people who have naturalized and therefore obtained South Korean citizenship; the total number of naturalized South Korean citizens surpassed 200,000 in 2019.[26]

Country 2023 (Dec.) 2019
 China 942,395 1,101,782
 Vietnam 271,712 224,518
 Thailand 202,121 209,909
 United States 161,895 156,982
 Uzbekistan 87,698 75,320
 Russia 68,075 61,427
 Philippines 64,055 62,398
   Nepal 63,369 42,781
 Indonesia 63,226 48,854
 Japan 58,438 86,196
 Cambodia 57,018 47,565
 Mongolia 54,846 48,185
 Kazakhstan 45,764 34,638
 Myanmar 42,438 29,294
 Taiwan 33,225 42,767
 Sri Lanka 30,370 25,064
 Canada 27,607 26,789
 Bangladesh 26,636 18,340
 Australia 18,326 15,222
 Pakistan 16,295 13,990
 India 15,789 12,929
 Malaysia 12,362 14,790
 Hong Kong 10,997 20,018
Others 104,898
Total 2,507,584 2,524,656

Ethnic Koreans with foreign citizenship

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Ethnic Koreans in overseas started immigrating to South Korea in large numbers, especially since the 2000s. They mainly include ethnic Koreans from China and the former Soviet Union, along with Korean Americans. They can apply for F-4 visa which grants them the right to work and live more freely than foreigners of non Korean origin.[25]

Rank Nationality Population
1  China 656,142
2  United States 48,837
3  Uzbekistan 43,320
4  Russia 38,369
5  Kazakhstan 22,426
6  Canada 17,923
7  Australia 5,465
8  Kyrgyzstan 4,116
9  New Zealand 2,661
10  Germany 889
11  Japan 873
- Others 7,703
- Total 848,724

Foreign spouses

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Number of foreign spouses married to South Korean citizens as of December 2023.[25] This figure excludes those who have naturalized and therefore obtained South Korean citizenship.

Rank Nationality Total Husbands Wives
1  China 60,048 14,039 46,009
2  Vietnam 39,956 4,475 35,481
3  Japan 15,662 1,325 14,337
4  Philippines 12,557 610 11,947
5  Thailand 8,669 140 8,529
6  United States 5,093 3,484 1,609
7  Cambodia 4,794 788 4,006
8  Uzbekistan 2,792 238 2,554
9  Mongolia 2,583 222 2,361
10  Russia 2,408 167 2,241
11  Taiwan 1,806 186 1,620
12  Canada 1,491 1,171 320
13  United Kingdom 1,344 1,119 225
- Others 11,196 5,870 5,326
- Total 174,895 34,526 140,369

See also

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ Myers, Brian Reynolds (3 July 2020). "On the Demolition of the North-South Liaison Office". Sthele Press. Retrieved 16 July 2020. [I]n South Korea, where support for social welfare and public health care is virtually universal, as is opposition to mass immigration, largely one's attitude to North Korea that decides whether one counts as 'progressive' or 'conservative.'
  2. ^ "Foreign population in Korea tops 2.5 million". The Korea Times. February 24, 2020.
  3. ^ Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Roser, Max; Ritchie, Hannah; Spooner, Fiona; Gerber, Marcel (2022-11-18). "Migration". Our World in Data.
  4. ^ "UN_MigrantStockTotal_2019".
  5. ^ "Immigrants in Korea". National Statistics Office. Archived from the original on 2008-06-30.
  6. ^ Basic Plan South Korean government
  7. ^ 26. Hwang, Min-Chul. (2024). Evaluating the effect of settlement services in South Korea: Focused on Korea Immigration & Integration Program. Evaluation and Program Planning, 103, 102400–102400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2024.102400
  8. ^ 27. Kim, Bum Jung, & Torres-Gil, Fernando. (2008). Aging and Immigration: The Case of South Korea (with a Look at Italy and Japan). Generations (San Francisco, Calif.), 32(4), 80–86.
  9. ^ 25. How to move to South Korea for permanent residence: methods and necessary documents. (n.d.). Visitworld.today. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://visitworld.today/blog/821/how-to-move-to-south-korea-for-permanent-residence-methods-and-necessary-documents#methods-of-obtaining-a-visa-to-south-korea
  10. ^ 22. admin. (2018, February 23). E-7-4 visa points - how to get scores to get E-7-4 visa. VISAS KOREA. https://www.visaskorea.com/e7-4-visa-points/
  11. ^ a b 23. editor. (2023, July 2). Korea eases work and visa policies in a bid to further boost foreign enrolment. ICEF Monitor - Market Intelligence for International Student Recruitment. https://monitor.icef.com/2023/07/korea-eases-work-and-visa-policies-in-a-bid-to-further-boost-foreign-enrolment/
  12. ^ Myers, Brian Reynolds (17 April 2020). "On the United Future Party". Sthele Press. Retrieved 16 July 2020. But a telephone call to the number on the banner confirmed what I had instantly assumed: foreign residents need not apply. No, the lady said, it makes no difference if the foreigner has lived and paid taxes in Sasang-gu for 13 years. No, not even if he has the right to vote in municipal elections. It turned out that the only Sasang residents qualified to get the money were those entitled to vote on April 15.
  13. ^ Jeonghoon Jang. 아름다운 재단 - 공감. Beautiful Foundation (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
  14. ^ "South Korea government steps in to regulate mixed marriages". The Japan Times. Agence France-Presse / Jiji Press. 12 April 2014.
  15. ^ Prof. Robert Kelly (25 March 2010). "Korea's Slow Boiling Demographic Crisis". Asian Security & US Foreign Relations Blog.
  16. ^ "코시안의 집이란". Kosian House website. Archived from the original on 2006-11-16. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
  17. ^ "KOSIAN Community". Ansan Immigrant Center website. Archived from the original on December 16, 2005. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
  18. ^ "'코시안'(Kosian) 쓰지 마라! (Do not use Kosian)". Naver News (in Korean). February 23, 2006. Retrieved 2006-03-04.
  19. ^ "Myth of Pure-Blood Nationalism Blocks Multi-Ethnic Society". The Korea Times. August 23, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-08-23.
  20. ^ "'코시안'(Kosian) 쓰지 마라!". Naver news (Korean language) February 23, 2006 (in Korean). Retrieved 2006-03-04.
  21. ^ "[Why] 국제결혼 줄어드는데… 미국 며느리, 영국·독일 사위 늘었다". The Chosun Ilbo. March 12, 2016.
  22. ^ Jaehong Kim. 석동현 출입국 외국인정책본부장. LawTimes (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2014-10-11. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  23. ^ "재외동포 정의 및 현황 | 재외동포 정의 및 현황 외교부". Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  24. ^ Mundy, Simon (September 17, 2013). "S Korea struggles to take in foreign workers". Financial Times.
  25. ^ a b c "문서뷰어". viewer.moj.go.kr.
  26. ^ "귀화 한국인 20만명 돌파". The Chosun Ilbo. November 21, 2019.


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