Survey shows adults more open, teens less tolerant in Korea

Lee Jae-woong, director of the Multicultural Family Division at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, explains the results of the National Multicultural Acceptance Survey during a press briefing at Government Complex Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

A new government survey has revealed a complex and diverging trend in Korea's social fabric: While multicultural acceptance among adults has rebounded for the first time in a decade, openness has simultaneously declined among minors.

The report further showed a consistent pattern, indicating that a greater frequency of interaction with migrant communities correlated directly with elevated levels of acceptance among respondents. Nevertheless, even as the survey signaled broader societal progress, nearly half of those polled indicated that the government's initiatives for promoting the social integration of immigrants remained insufficient.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Thursday released the results of the 2024 National Multicultural Acceptance Survey, based on responses from 11,000 adults and teenagers across the country. Launched in 2012, the government survey is held every three years to gauge public attitudes toward multiculturalism. The findings play a key role in shaping national policies on social integration.

According to the survey, the multicultural acceptance score among adults was 53.38 last year, up 1.11 points from 52.27 in 2021. This marks the second-highest level on record, signaling a rebound of the steady decline seen since the peak of 53.95 in 2015.

"The increase appears to be driven by the resumption of interaction with migrants following the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the normalization of multicultural education programs and the impact of related policies," a ministry official said.

"Growing public discussions about immigration as a solution to population decline and labor shortages also seem to be contributing to a shift toward more positive attitudes."

In contrast, multicultural acceptance among teenagers fell to 69.77, down 1.62 points from the previous survey. It marks the first decline in adolescent scores since the survey was launched.

The ministry suggested the decline may be tied to the one-sided approach of multicultural education, rising concerns about perceived reverse discrimination in an intensely competitive academic setting and greater exposure to negative portrayals of multicultural families in the media.

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The survey also found that more frequent interactions with migrants or peers from multicultural backgrounds is strongly linked to higher levels of acceptance.

Among adults who reported little to no contact with immigrants, the acceptance score was 52.35. That figure rose to 53.79 for those who interact annually, 54.52 for monthly interaction and 56.38 for weekly contact.

A similar pattern was observed among teenagers, with acceptance increasing in proportion to how often they engaged with friends from foreign or multicultural backgrounds.

Public perceptions of the growing migrant population were largely positive, according to the survey.

Among adults, 78.3 percent said immigrants help fill jobs that are difficult to staff, making it the most commonly cited benefit. This was followed by easing population decline at 67.3 percent and contributing positively to the overall economy at 65.6 percent.

Teenagers responded similarly, with 83.5 percent saying that immigration helps address labor shortages.

On the other hand, both adults and teens identified several perceived negative effects, including increased pressure on the welfare system, the potential for social conflict, worsening crime and heightened competition for jobs.

When asked about government policies on immigrant integration, about half of respondents said current efforts are insufficient.

Among adults, only 52.6 percent viewed the government’s approach as adequate. The figure was slightly higher among teenagers, with 57 percent agreeing that current policies are sufficient — still indicating a relatively low level of confidence.

"A growing share of households in Korea are now multicultural, making this a crucial time to expand diversity and inclusion," a ministry official said.

The official added that, based on the survey results, the government will enhance multicultural education tailored to specific groups and create more opportunities for exchange and dialogue.