Yoon's inauguration ceremony raises hope for inclusive, multicultural society

Migrant women attend a Korean language class at a multicultural family support center in Seongbuk District, Seoul, in this undated file photo. Korea Times file

Experts call for tailored approach to meet diverse needs of migrants

By Lee Hyo-jin

President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony held in the National Assembly on Tuesday has raised hope for an inclusive society among the multicultural community in Korea. The ceremony featured a performance by the Rainbow Choir, a choral group made up of the children of multicultural families, and an immigrant from Cambodia, who was selected as one among 20 members of the public to walk together onto the stage with Yoon.

At a bell-ringing ceremony held prior to the inauguration, an immigrant from the Philippines was invited to be present as one of the 20 representatives of people from different regions and social backgrounds.

Migrants' rights activists said it was encouraging to see residents of foreign nationality better represented, with some interpreting their presence as a sign that the Yoon administration would broaden the nation's immigration policy over the next five years.

Cha Yun-kyung, board chairman of the Migrant Youth Foundation, called for comprehensive migrant policies encompassing the diversifying needs of foreign residents.

"The previous government's multicultural policies were heading in the right direction in general, but they lacked a tailored approach," Cha told The Korea Times.

He explained, "In the early 2000s, the government's multicultural policies were mainly focused on promoting international marriages in rural regions and were limited to helping foreign wives adapt to society. But over the two decades, foreign national residents have grown not only in number but also in diversity."

"Therefore, the various difficulties experienced by migrants depending on their age, occupation and nationality should be addressed separately."

In particular, Cha viewed that the government should pay more attention to the challenges faced by undocumented migrant children, or those born between foreign nationals who are undocumented.

Although there is no official data, the number of children who are undocumented in Korea is estimated to be around 20,000. As they are virtually invisible according to government records, these children are deprived of basic human rights to education, health and protection from violence.

"On top of humanitarian issues, the continued neglect and alienation of these children could backfire as a huge burden to society," he said, stressing that undocumented children should immediately be guaranteed such basic rights.

Children of multicultural backgrounds attend a foreign language and culture class at an elementary school in Seoul in this undated file photo. Korea Times file

Moon Sook-hyun, head of the Ansan Multicultural Family Support Center, said the government should improve its support of the employment of migrant women, who are increasingly wishing to enter the job market, moving away from the outdated stereotypes of foreign national wives as only child bearers and family caregivers under Korea's enduring patriarchal culture.

"Just like Korean nationals, migrant women also want stable employment. But currently, most positions offered to them are unstable, low-paid, part-time jobs in coffee shops or factories," she said. "Many women who come to our center ask how they can get employed in the public sector such as in state-run facilities, where they don't have to worry about their salary payments being delayed or unfair treatment."

Moon also said the government should consider increasing the number of multicultural family support centers across the country amid the quickly culturally diversifying population.

According to Moon, even her multicultural support center in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, which is the largest of its kind in the country, is overburdened with residents who need support in childcare, education and employment.

Meanwhile, the two experts gave mixed opinions on the new government's plan to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which oversees policies for migrant women and their children.

Currently, Korea's immigration policy is handled separately by different branches of the government: the Ministry of Labor covering migrant workers, the Ministry of Gender Equality of Family creating the policy for marriage migrants and their children, the Ministry of Education handling international students, the Ministry of Justice covering visa status and other administrative affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dealing with ethnic Koreans overseas.

"As I've said, the numbers of marriage migrants and their children have drastically increased in recent years. And their diversifying needs seem to have outgrown the ministry's capacity," said Cha. "It is time for the government to establish an overseeing agency dedicated to migrant issues to ensure policy coordination among relevant government bodies."

Moon said, "There are different opinions on that matter. Some view that policies supporting multicultural families should be moved to the Ministry of Health and Welfare as they are welfare measures in a broader sense, while some insist that the Gender Equality and Family Ministry is still the most suitable government organization to carry out the policies."