By Kim Se-jeong
The number of elementary, middle and high school students from multiracial families soared to a record high of 67,806 as of April, the Ministry of Education said Sunday.
That accounted for 1.07 percent of the 6.33 million total and is the first time the group has surpassed the 1 percent mark, according to the ministry.
It was also a sharp increase from last year’s 55,780 ― the total is projected to reach 100,000 in three years.
Most of the children had Korean fathers and foreign born mothers and the majority of the latter came from China followed by Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Mongolia. In the case of Vietnam, the number of children almost doubled last year’s total of 6,310.
The nation’s multiracial student population has shown steady growth since the first survey by the education ministry was conducted in 2006. The number totaled 9,389 then, and has increased by 6,000 to 8,000 annually.
The majority of the students are in elementary schools ― 48,297 ― while middle schools have 12,525 and high schools, 6,984, the ministry said.
The rapid rise in the number is in sharp contrast to the shrinking Korean adolescent population.
According to Ministry of Gender Equality and Families, the number of new elementary school students this year hit the lowest level in decades at 2.72 million as a result of the country’s low birthrate.
Postponing marriage, a growing trend of staying single and unstable economic conditions are believed to be the main reasons behind the low birthrate.
In this sense, the increasing number of married immigrants from neighboring countries could offer hope.
As of July this year there were 295,842, naturalized Koreans through marriage. Last year, the number was 281,295.
But, this poses a potential problem for Korean society which has shown difficulty in accepting newcomers from different backgrounds.
According to a recent report on racial discrimination in Korea, immigrants from neighboring Asian countries are often regarded as second-class citizens; and government policy supporting such families only nurtures prejudice.
Iresha Perera from Sri Lanka, who moved to Korea after marrying her Korean husband, said the word “multiracial family” carries a discriminatory notion.
“We’re part of this society. The attempt to distinguish us from the rest only reinforces the notion that we are always outsiders and need to be treated differently,” she told The Korea Times in a recent interview.