Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Rights advocates warn of rising anti-immigrant politics
Lee Kang-san, left, the hard-right Liberty Unification Party's candidate for the head of Guro District, visits the office of the National Election Commission for the April 2 by-elections in Seoul, March 13. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Nationalist Korea First campaign garners 32% support
Is ultranationalism gaining ground in Korean politics?
Human rights advocates are growing increasingly concerned following a political feat by a once-fringe figure earlier this month.
Lee Kang-san, 35, of the Liberty Unification Party — a hard-right minor party with no seats in the National Assembly — garnered more than 32 percent of the vote in the April 2 by-election for the top post at the Guro District Office in Seoul.
One of his central pledges was to deport what he referred to as “all the illegal aliens.” In his official campaign brochure sent to voters, Lee emphasized that his top policy priority would be putting “citizens first.”
“If I get elected, I will prioritize solving the problem of illegal immigrants. Guro District is home to more than 50,000 foreigners, and the issue of public security has been rising due to illegal immigrants,” he said. “As the head of the district, I would collaborate with police and immigration officers to deport them. I would also apply AI technology to security cameras to analyze behavior patterns and movements to effectively detect illegal immigrants.”
Appearing on several YouTube channels, Lee did not hide that his main target is undocumented Chinese nationals. According to data from the Ministry of Justice last year, there were 48,343 foreign residents, mostly Chinese, in Guro, the second-highest number among all districts in Seoul.
In the past, several fringe politicians have gained public attention by centering their election campaigns around a single, polarizing issue. This trend has intensified in recent political discourse, particularly as impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and members of his party have whipped up public fear about alleged Chinese interference in Korean elections — contributing to a rise in anti-foreigner sentiment.
However, according to Lee Wan, a rights activist for immigrants in Korea, Lee of the Liberty Unification Party is among the first to garner enough support to raise serious concerns about the direction of future elections.
“It is not impossible that such nationalistic views will turn into a political movement amid an increase in immigrants here,” Lee told The Korea Times on Thursday. “And this could pick up more support in a crisis-like situation, such as an economic crisis.”
Part of the reason for Lee’s stronger-than-expected support was the absence of a People Power Party candidate. The party chose not to nominate anyone as a gesture of accountability for the by-election, which was triggered by the resignation of its former district chief, Moon Hun-il. Moon stepped down after refusing to comply with a court order to divest or place his stock holdings in a blind trust during his term. As a result, many voters dissatisfied with Jang In-hong, the liberal candidate who ultimately won, threw their support behind Lee instead.
The election outcome was alarming for many human rights advocates, who held an emergency meeting over the issue on April 7. “This outcome is highly concerning because politicians may exploit (such sentiment) for the 2026 local and 2028 general elections,” one of the speakers reportedly said during the meeting at the office of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in Seoul.
Research shows signs of tension between citizens and noncitizens in areas with high concentrations of foreign residents, such as Seoul’s Guro District.
When asked whether they would support a policy that prioritizes Korean citizens over noncitizens for jobs, 92.8 percent of Guro District residents said they agreed—the highest rate among all Seoul districts, according to the 2024 Seoul Survey released Wednesday.