The Migration Policies of South Korea - Focusing on the Types of Migrants

-Prof. Dr. Hwa Yong Lee (Professor, Graduate School of Public Policy and Civic Government, Kyung Hee University)

Abstract:

Migration is a global phenomenon and issue, and South Korea is no exception to the global migration flow. This lecture explains the characteristics of Korean migration policies, focusing on the types of migrants (in particular labor migrants, married migrant women, and undocumented children). The influx of migrants to South Korea began in earnest after the 1988 Olympics, and the country officially declared its transition towards becoming a multicultural society in 2006. Since then, Korean migration policies and discourses have developed steadily. The characteristics of Korean migration policies exhibit duality. Migrant workers and married migrant women are the main components of South Korea's migrant population. While Korean migration policies are concentrated on these two groups, they adopt different approaches; that is, policies of economic control, management, and exclusion for migrant workers vs. policies of social acceptance, assimilation, and support for married migrant women. The reason for the contrasting approaches lies in how they are taken, that is, whether they are considered as members of the nation-state or not. These migrant groups are introduced as members of Korean society due to its economic and social needs. Perception of and policies for migrants need to be considered in terms of social membership, not citizenship. In exploring Korean migration policies, the lecture will raise the following questions about borders and beyond: “Are national boundaries and governance challenged in the era of migration?” and “Is politics without boundaries possible?” Through this lecture, it is hoped that we can have an opportunity to think and reflect on these questions.

About the lecturer:

Hwa Yong Lee is a professor in the Graduate School of Public Policy and Civic Engagement at Kyung Hee University. Her researches are on global governance, multicultural societies and migration, the change of nation-state. Her publications include ‘A Critical Study on the Policies for Undocumented Immigrant Children in Korea(2024),’ ‘Empire and City-States, the Emergence of Popular Sovereignty(2020)’, ‘The Policy for Guest Workers of Border: The Issues and Tasks of Employment Permit System(2015)’. Prof. Lee obtained Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. She has served as Dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy and Civic Engagement, Kyung Hee University, and Editor-in-Chief of the Korean Society for Political Thought.

Hybrid event: