{"id":2199765,"date":"2022-12-22T09:46:56","date_gmt":"2022-12-22T09:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2199765"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:10:30","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:10:30","slug":"how-hate-and-prejudice-make-immigrants-think-twice-about-moving-to-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2022\/12\/how-hate-and-prejudice-make-immigrants-think-twice-about-moving-to-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"How hate and prejudice make immigrants think twice about moving to South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea is not a nation of immigrants. And would-be emigrants who wish to work and live outside their home countries hardly rush to settle in Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n This week, Statistics Korea announced that the number of immigrants, including naturalized citizens, residing in the country fell by <\/span>2%<\/span><\/a> in 2022 from the previous year. Korea\u2019s population is approximately 52 million and immigrants make up less than 2.6% of it, accounting for about 1.35 million.<\/span><\/p>\n The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a setback for increasing the country\u2019s immigrant population. In 2021, the <\/span>migration rate<\/span><\/a>, including Koreans, fell to an overall negative level for the first time since 2006. The migration rate for foreigners was also down for the second consecutive year, with only the 10-29 age bracket showing a net increase.<\/span><\/p>\n A reason for the overall decrease was Chinese nationals’ high rate of outgoing migration. Although improved from 2020, <\/span>22,000<\/span><\/a> more Chinese migrants left Korea (117,000) in 2021 than entered (95,000). Thailand, another critical source of migrants, also saw a <\/span>negative<\/span><\/a> migration rate, while Vietnam <\/span>flatlined<\/span><\/a>, with 17,000 leaving and entering.<\/span><\/p>\n Before the pandemic, these three countries were the top three nationalities of newcomers to South Korea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n THE GRASS IS NOT GREENER<\/b><\/p>\n According to the most recent government statistics, most foreign residents in Korea work in the mining and manufacturing sector (<\/span>43.2%<\/span><\/a>), followed by wholesale, retail, lodging and restaurants (<\/span>19.2%<\/span><\/a>). The industries that grew in 2021 compared to the previous year were construction and agriculture (<\/span>19.4%<\/span><\/a>) and forestry and fisheries (<\/span>7.2%<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n Many migrant workers in these industries are engaged in low-skilled, low-wage occupations that young Koreans tend to avoid. The most significant issues these workers face relate to working conditions and discrimination.<\/span><\/p>\n Employers do not guarantee safe dormitories for their workers. Temporary structures, like shipping containers, that lack proper heating and cooling systems are still <\/span>considered<\/span><\/a> legal dwellings for their accommodation. Migrant workers are also not legally allowed to <\/span>change<\/span><\/a> workplaces, which subordinates them to their employers.<\/span><\/p>\n Other concerns include wage theft, withholding and minimal protection for illness and accidents.<\/span><\/p>\n Marriage migrants, the majority of whom are women, often face communication barriers due to a lack of language skills, domestic conflicts over cultural differences and sometimes violence from patriarchal domination. The discrimination they face is <\/span>intersectional<\/span><\/a>, along the lines of gender, class and their status as foreigners.<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, there are also overseas Koreans who have been encouraged by the Korean government to migrate at various times. Concentrated in southwest Seoul\u2019s Guro, Garibong and Daerim neighborhoods, the Joseonjok \u2014 ethnic Korean Chinese nationals \u2014 are one of the largest of these communities.<\/span><\/p>\n The first wave <\/span>arrived<\/span><\/a> in 1992, following the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea. The Joseonjok migrated to northeast China\u2019s Jilin province during the Japanese occupation of Korea and many likely believed that returning to their ancestral homeland (and a richer country) would bring them a brighter financial future.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the Joseonjok have been frustrated by underpaid work and unstable jobs, as South Koreans often treat them as \u201cnot Korean enough.\u201d The Joseonjok often fall victim to <\/span>negative stereotypes<\/span><\/a> related to drugs, alcohol and violent crime, thanks partly to media portrayals.<\/span><\/p>\n