Gov't vows to widen awareness of multicultural society

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Wed, November 29, 2023 | 05:26

Gov't vows to widen awareness of multicultural society

Posted : 2012-08-17 11:01

Updated : 2012-08-17 11:01

The government announced a set of measures on Friday to strengthen public education and understanding of a "multicultural society" and raise support for relevant programs.

The number of multiethnic families in South Korea has been on the rise to reach some 250,000 households nationwide last year due largely to an increasing number of Korean men marrying foreign women and a steady influx of migrant workers settling here to take up jobs.

Under the envisioned plan, the government will publish teaching guidelines for preschoolers and textbooks for primary and secondary schools that include contents on multicultural societies, and distribute them in phases starting 2013.

Education sessions on multiculturalism will be held for the general public including for civil servants and employees at welfare facilities, according to the government.

It also plans to publish diverse materials on the subject in multiple languages so as to improve public understanding of different cultures and histories.

Efforts to promote cultural diversity via the media will also be strengthened, which include supporting the production of media programs and strengthening monitoring of existing ones to correct discriminatory content and expressions against those from foreign countries, the government said.

It also vowed to push for improving the environment of residential areas with a large foreign population to prevent people from harboring negative impressions.

"South Korea is about to become a multicultural society, and those from foreign countries are getting prominent in our society and taking a bigger role. But we still bear prejudice and distorted impressions toward them," Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said while presiding over the meeting to discuss the measures.

"Efforts to improve understanding on cultural diversity and to embrace them as a true member of our society are a key task to achieve sustainable development and social integrity," Kim added. (Yonhap)