The Origin of Ethnic Diversity in South Korea - Issues and Implications

Abstract

More than a million foreigners reportedly reside in South Korea now, with unskilled migrant workers accounting for a majority. Although the country’s reliance on imported foreign labor is likely to continue unabated, the country prides itself as an ethnically homogenous society and insists on an almost zero-immigration policy. However, this paper shows that Korean society is rapidly becoming an ethnically diverse society and that this process is inevitable and irreversible. In support of this argument, the paper examines various social factors that are contributing to the making of a multiethnic Korea, including the continuing influx of migrant workers, rapid aging of the population, low fertility rate, and a shortage of brides. The paper also discusses many cultural and social implications of the increasing ethnic diversity in Korea, including the relevance of multiculturalism as a policy.