Toward Harmonious Society

By Woo Ki-boong

Korea is now heading toward being a multicultural and multiracial society. According to statistics from the Korea Immigration Service, the total number of foreign residents in Korea as of December 2008 reached about 1.2 million.

The number of married immigrants (foreign spouses married to Koreans) accounted for approximately 122,000, and most of them come from Asian countries such as China (67,540), Vietnam (27,084), the Philippines (5,777), Japan (5,216) and Mongolia (2,320).

Nowadays, the exchanges of human resources between countries and the increase in the number of international marriages have raised a range of concerns involving ethnic minorities.

The principle of ``pure-blood,'' deep-rooted in Korean consciousness, has produced various forms of discrimination against so-called ``mixed-blood'' people in employment, marriage, education and interpersonal relationships.

Many marriage immigrants have difficulty in adjusting to a new culture and environment in Korea due to the language barrier, cultural differences and racial discrimination.

The Basic Act on the Treatment of Foreign Residents in Korea was enacted in April 2007 in order to create a society where Koreans and foreigners understand and respect each other.

On the basis of the act, May 20 was designated as ``Together Day,'' an official national celebration to foster awareness of the growing immigrant community and embrace ethnic and cultural diversity in Korean society.

We, the Seoul Immigration Office, established the ``Marriage Immigrants Settlement Support Network'' to meet the growing demand for supporting the adjustment of marriage immigrants to Korean society at an early stage.

We also established the ``I With U Lounge'' for married immigrants and their children on the third floor of the Seoul Immigration Office as well as an Internet cafe (cafe.daum.net/immigration).

We are seeking to develop substantial support programs in cooperation with relevant public agencies, local governments, the social integration commission of the Seoul Immigration Office, the Active Brain Tower (ABT) University's social integration program and private organizations so that they and their children can settle down in Korean society quickly.

In the era of globalization, I believe cultural and racial diversity will enhance national competitiveness and serve as a growth engine for Korea in the future. Therefore, married immigrants and their children are important human resources that can be used as messengers between Korea and their native countries.

We, the Seoul Immigration Office, will make every effort to help married immigrants and their children successfully adjust to Korean society and create a harmonious society where Koreans and foreigners can live hand in hand.

Woo Ki-boong is director general of the Seoul Immigration Office.

[출처 : 코리아타임스]