By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Globalization is a key slogan of President Lee Myung-bak. And so Lee has promised several measures to embrace diversity and multiculturalism in the policies of the new government.
One of the measures came in January with his commitment to hire competent foreigners for crucial government jobs after revising relevant laws.
In fact, Lee demonstrated his commitment to the globalization project by appointing David Eldon, a former chairman of HSBC, as co-chairman of his national competitiveness committee under the transition team to play a role in attracting foreign direct investment.
According to the transition team's Global Korea plan, the government will introduce several measures to build a foreigner-friendly country.
The transition team said that the Lee administration will transform the community to embrace the foreign population; take into account multiculturalism; and seek a proactive policy for foreign nationals.
The team also said it will strengthen English education in an effort to make this country friendly to foreign investors and more globalized.
In an interview with The Korea Times last year to mark its 57th anniversary, Lee said he would embrace diversity in his plans as the current policy vacuum could lead to social problems in the near future.
Lee said the government will work out effective measures to meet the growing number of foreign residents in Korea.
Then Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee said that the growth of the foreign population in the country is a result of workforce shortages in the manufacturing sector, the low birth rate and an ageing society.
Experts said that 1 out of 10 married couples in agricultural areas were interracial marriages.
They also said that 41 percent of the male population engaged in the agriculture and fishery industry married foreign females in 2006, up 5.1 percent from a year ago.
``The mixed race families are facing many challenges in rearing their children mainly because of the lack of tailored educational services and support,'' Lee said.
If these children fall behind in class, the government will face social problems in the future, he said.