By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
A total of 37 lawmakers from ruling and opposition parties launched a body Thursday to discuss and draw up steps for the legislation of laws governing multicultural families.
They agreed to enact integrated, practical laws and legally binding measures supportive to migrant workers, immigrant wives and their children.
Representatives of the nation's largest Buddhist order, Jogye, also participated in the launching ceremony at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.
``The National Assembly will do its best,'' speaker Kim Hyung-o said in an opening speech. ``Issues on multiracial society have rarely been discussed among legislators and government officials.''
Kim said Korea's leaders have been largely ignorant about the ongoing massive demographic change.
``I'm happy to see bipartisan partnership to cope with this,'' he added.
Rep. Chin Young of the ruling Grand National Party, host of the meeting, said that how to deal with multiracial issues will be one of the key factors determining the future of the country.
``We are facing double jeopardy ― a record low fertility rate and an aging society,'' Chin said. ``Current birth-boosting campaigns by the government and civic groups are not an ultimate solution. Taking immigrants as our true neighbors will be a key solution for the shrinking population.''
He insisted current state-backed support measures be integrated.
``At present, employment affairs are under the control of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labor. Welfare is a matter of the health ministry, while educational affairs lie under the education ministry. We need to integrate them for more efficient administration,'' he said.
Ven. Bo Seon of the Jogye Order, who heads a private institute promoting multiculturalism, said, "With xenophobic sentiment still prevailing in our society, I hope this meeting will be a meaningful step toward demolishing barriers in our mind.''
In an open discussion following the ceremony, Kim Sung-hee, secretary-general of the Center for Multicultural Korea, asked legislators to take into account policies in multiracial countries such as Germany, France, Canada and Australia.