By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Korea needs to open its door wider to foreigners and more actively embrace them as members of and contributors to society, a top immigration policymaker said Monday.
``So far, we have only thought about free international trade in the tangible products and service sectors. But now human resources should be more freely exchanged and the government should prepare for it,'' Korea Immigration Service Commissioner Choo Kyu-ho said.
Preparation is urgently required as the nation is going through a drastic paradigm shift in terms of population, due to the aging of society and a record low birthrate, Choo said in an interview with The Korea Times.
The country's birthrate stood at 1.13 in 2006, much lower than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 2005 average of 1.56. This has also been coupled with the rapid transition into an aging society, which has produced a gloomy outlook that might reduce the growth potential of its economy.
But Choo said that there should be necessary principles in accepting foreigners.
``We should open our doors to foreigners with principles. Otherwise, the massive influx will harm the country. We also need to think about socially integrating them,'' he said.
The number of foreigners residing here exceeded one million _ 2 percent of the total population _ for the first time last August. But this has also brought about an increase in related problems.
Choo admitted that the government has taken a passive role in immigration control, which has made the situation worse.
About 100,000 foreigners came here through marriage, but most have difficulty in adjusting to Korean society due to cultural differences and language barriers. Their children also face severe discrimination and are alienated.
Some 500,000 people have come to work here, but 200,000 of them are now illegal workers who are at risk of various illegal practices without being protected by law.
However, Choo is confident that the government has taken action before it's too late.
The Ministry of Justice's Korea Immigration Bureau used to take care of immigration affairs, but it was upgraded into the Korea Immigration Service last May.
A bill on the Treatment of Foreigners Act concerning issues such as the welfare of immigrant workers, education for children from interracial marriages, illegal immigrant workers and Korean descendants with foreign nationality, was passed at the National Assembly last May.
Every five years, the government will also set up a long term plan to improve the policies on immigration and law on foreigners and offer more practical help for them with the participation of 20 different ministries.
But he also emphasized the importance of education to encourage people to accept foreigners as part of society.
``Apart from the government's efforts, I think it is also necessary for ordinary Koreans to stop thinking that we live in a racially homogeneous nation. We should think about ways of living together in harmony.'' he said.