Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
INTERVIEW IOM deputy chief warns against fear-based narratives in migration policies
Lee Sung-ah, deputy director general for management and reform at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), smiles during an interview with The Korea Times at IOM's Seoul office, Friday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Lee Hyo-jin
UN migration agency looks to expand AI cooperation with Korea
When Lee Sung-ah speaks about migration, she does not begin with statistics or policy debates. Instead, she starts with people.
As immigration debates grow increasingly polarized around the world, Lee, deputy director general for management and reform at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, said the conversation needs to move away from fear-based narratives and toward a more balanced understanding of migrants.
"In the end, it's the people we are talking about. When someone feels they have no opportunities, or when they live in a conflict zone, they naturally leave in order to survive. Stopping them does not mean people will stop moving across borders," she said during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul on Friday.
"Safe, orderly and regular migration pathways benefit everyone. And that is the message we are trying to send as we communicate with our partners."
Like many international organizations, IOM — which works with governments on migration policy and humanitarian assistance — is navigating new challenges amid shifting global political trends, including the rise of anti-immigration policies and growing skepticism toward multilateral institutions.
Tensions within the U.N. system have been further heightened following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision on Wednesday to withdraw from 31 U.N. organizations and affiliated bodies that he said "no longer serve America's interests."
While the U.N. as a whole is facing a difficult moment, Lee said IOM has managed to sustain its field operations by pursuing internal reforms and innovation, including the strategic use of artificial intelligence (AI), rather than scaling back its presence on the ground.
"One of the most pressing challenges in global migration governance today is the growing influence of fear-based narratives and misinformation, which often undermine evidence-based policymaking," she said. "IOM is strengthening its support for evidence-based policymaking through robust data collection and analysis, expanding safe and regular migration pathways."
Foreign workers wearing traditional Vietnamese hats called 'non la' harvest potatoes on a farm in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, July 23, 2025. Yonhap
For Korea, accepting immigrants is no longer a matter of choice, but a necessity.
One of the world's fastest-aging societies, the country faces acute labor shortages in manufacturing, agriculture and fisheries — gaps that have increasingly been filled by short-term foreign workers.
"Short-term labor migration will continue to play an important role in addressing immediate workforce shortages and is likely to remain a key pillar of Korea's migration strategy," Lee said. "At the same time, in rapidly aging societies like Korea, longer-term workforce stability may become increasingly important."
Any shift toward more settlement-oriented approaches, the deputy general added, would require clear policy frameworks, strong institutional capacity and broad social consensus.
Lee, the highest-ranking Korean national currently serving in the U.N. system, said her personal experiences helped shape her career path.
She spent part of her childhood in Sudan, an experience she said deepened her understanding of both resilience and injustice. Before joining IOM in April 2024, her career across international organizations and nongovernmental groups has spanned trade, climate policy and development economics.
"At a certain point, I realized I wanted to work closer to people's lives," Lee said. "Policies matter, but what matters most is whether they lead to real improvements on the ground, and that is exactly what IOM is trying to do."
During her latest visit to Seoul, she met with officials from multiple ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.
"I hope cooperation with Korea can expand in multiple ways, which would also help raise the country's international profile," she said.
Lee stressed that Korea's strength as a technology and culture powerhouse offers new opportunities for collaboration as IOM increasingly leverages AI to transform fragmented datasets on climate, conflict and population dynamics into actionable intelligence.
One of IOM's notable recent collaborations with Korea has been with YG Entertainment, a global K-pop company.
Through the partnership, YG Entertainment offset part of the electricity used during BLACKPINK’s Seoul and London concerts last year by purchasing Peace Renewable Energy Credits generated by an IOM-managed solar plant in South Sudan.
"As a Korean, I find this partnership both professionally and personally rewarding,” Lee said. "Korea’s leadership in both technology and culture gives this partnership unique potential, demonstrating how cultural influence can drive humanitarian impact on a global scale."