다문화주의는 좋은데 우리는 다문화가 아니다: 탈북 대학생들의 다문화주의 인식

Abstract

This study aims to explore North Korean defectors' perceptions and opinions of multiculturalism in South Korea and their role, place and desired position in a changing multicultural South Korea. Among increasing multicultural minorities in South Korea, North Korean defectors are the ones who share the same ethnicity with South Koreans but they cannot escape prejudice and discrimination because they are a disadvantaged immigrant minority group. Such complex statuses make them sensitive to the majority group's categorization of multicultural minority groups. This study tries to examine how North Korean defectors perceive multiculturalism in South Korea and how they posit themselves among other multicultural minorities. In-depth interviews with 30 North Korean defector university students were conducted to examine their perceptions of multiculturalism and multicultural society in South Korea, national identity, and opinions of being categorized into one of multicultural groups. The results show that although they came from an ethnically homogeneous country, most informants had national identity with strong civic orientation and expressed positive views towards multiculturalism and multicultural society. Still, a couple of students had national identity with ethnic orientation and expressed negative views towards multicultural society. Different from their views of multiculturalism, the majority opposed to being categorized or treated as one of multicultural minority groups. Because “ethnicity” is the core of their identity, they wanted to be recognized as “the Korean people (hanminjok)” just like native-born South Koreans.