Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Migrant women need more jobs
Participants pose at a workshop on multiculturalism, hosted by the ASEAN-Korea Center at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul on Thursday. Second from left in the first row and onwards are Lee Chul-hwi, CEO of Seoul Shinmun; Lee Bok-sil, vice minister of gender equality and family; Chung Hae-moon, secretary general of ASEAN-Korea Center; Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Trong Toan; and Jasmine Lee, a lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party. / Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea Center
By Park Jin-hai
By Park Jin-hai
Renowned scholars and immigrant representatives say that if Korea is to become a multicultural society in earnest, jobs are needed for migrant women.
Participants at a forum also urged Korea to take further measures – both legally and in terms of policies - to promote public understanding of conditions faced by migrant housewives and therefore reduce possible discrimination against multiracial families.
The ASEAN-Korea Center hosted a workshop titled "Multiculturalism in Korea and ASEAN's Contribution" on Thursday, at Lotte Hotel in Sogongdong, Seoul.
"Most Vietnamese brides get married to Korean men to help the family left behind. If they only had to stay at home to look after their children, they tend to feel unhappy with their marriages because they don't earn money to assist their families in Vietnam," said Nguyen Thi Hong Xoan, sociology professor at Vietnam National University.
He cited the need for grooms to understand the feelings of Vietnamese brides from their point of view.
Other scholars from ASEAN countries included Jean Encinas-Franco, political science professor at University of the Philippines, and Tri Nuke Pudjiastuti, researcher at Indonesian Institute of Sciences, etc.
During the three-session program, participants engaged in active discussions on various issues arising from Korean multicultural society and future policy directions that the government should take.
Luu Thi My Ha, vice president of the Vietnamese Immigrants Association in Korea, said that although support centers have increased in number, their content as well as access to them were in most cases limited.
"Most centers are still running programs related to learning the Korean language, computers, and cultural experiences. Of course, these programs are still necessary, but many female immigrants want vocational training.”
“Even if they do have such programs, migrant women with jobs cannot participate, because those programs are only held on weekdays," she said, citing the ineffectiveness of such programs.
Encinas-Franco from the Philippines also said that some of Korea's migration policies in the past were knee-jerk reactions to political circumstances, rather than well-designed ones, resulting in migrants becoming further disempowered.
In addition, many discussed the "cultural immersion" issue, in which foreign brides, under the patriarchal Korean social system, are forced to adapt to the husbands' country, and not the other way round.
They underlined the need for Korean husbands to take part in programs to experience the culture and language of their migrant wives rather than only having their spouses learn about Korean culture.
They urged Korean nationals to perceive marriage migration as a union between two individuals from different cultures, rather than social problems that the government must deal with.