Multicultural families prefer Korean program

By Shim Jae-yun

Members of multiracial families mostly use Korean language education programs among many provided by centers for assistance of the multiethnic people, according to the Korean Institute for a Healthy Family, Wednesday.

The institute surveyed 200 centers across the nation, which showed more than 1.65 million people used programs run by the centers last year, an increase of 2.2 percent from a year earlier.

Korean language education was the most frequented program with 46.7 percent ahead of education on integration of multiracial families with 30 percent and job mediation and educational assistance with 10.8 percent.

The center in Bukgu, Gwangju was the one most visited with 25,417 people followed by Jeonju Center in North Jeolla Province with 22,204 and Chucheon Center in Gangwon Province with 22,010. Iksan Center in North Jeolla Province came fourth with 21,993.

The net number of visitors to the assistance centers with the exception of multiple users reached 113,193 last year, an increase of 32.1 percent over the previous year.

Most of the users were found to have taken basic Korean language lessons and education related to the integration of multiracial families and job-related ones.

By nationality of married migrants, Vietnam came first with 39.1 percent while China accounted for 27.8 percent.

The institute said the number of marriage migrants and naturalized people eligible for the assistance reached 267,727 as of January last year. The number of children from multiethnic families amounted to 168,583.

“The survey result shows the importance of Korean language education for the multicultural family members. We will continue efforts with the assistance centers to strengthen their programs,” an institute official said.