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"Korea As the Leader of Embracing Foreigners???!!!"
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Vicissitude



Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:54 pm    Post subject: "Korea As the Leader of Embracing Foreigners???!!!" Reply with quote

I just noticed this statement put out by Korea Immigration Service. In light of these new visa regulations, do you feel "embraced?"
Quote:
Korea As the Leader of Embracing Foreigners
Choo Kyu Ho
Commissioner of Korea Immigration Service

One of the most eye-catching changes in Seoul over the past few years has been the greater number of foreign cars - many of them top-class - that roll on its streets alongside domestic Hyundais and Kias. This is an indication not only of the greater wealth that South Koreans have achieved in the recent past, but also of the increasing openness of Korea's product market. No less noticeable is the increasing presence of foreign people in all walks of our society. These days, the words "wiheom juui" on warning signs at construction sites are followed by curvy Southeast Asian scripts indecipherable to the Korean eye. Many Koreans, including my wife, are great fans of "Misuda," a talk show on KBS featuring young foreign ladies chatting about their experiences of living in Korea. Most tellingly, evening TV shows these days include foreign characters; this, in my opinion, is the ultimate sign that foreigners have established themselves as a significant part of the Korean society.

This is a momentous change for Korea, long used to and even proud of the belief that it is a homogeneous nation. How are we to deal with this change? As foreigners continue to trickle in and gain ever-greater presence in our society, Koreans may easily erupt in xenophobia and shun foreigners lest they damage our homogeneity or treat them as second-class residents leeching off Korea's wealth. We must resist any inclination to that effect and instead openly and actively embrace foreigners who choose to come to live, study, or work in Korea. There are economic and moral reasons to do so.

Immigration provides ready solutions to many of the challenges that the Korean economy faces today. In the rapidly ageing Korean society, ever smaller productive population will have to shoulder the burden of supporting ever greater retired population. Immigrant workers can help diffuse this strain on the Korean workers. Immigration can also help Korean firms, which face steep competition, domestically and abroad, from cheaper products made in China and other developing countries. Willing to work for less than their Korean counterparts, immigrant workers will help lower labor cost, thereby restoring the price competitiveness of Korean firms' products. Immigration can thus lead to a win-win outcome for Koreans and foreigners. In addition, if highly-skilled professionals can also be lured to come to work in Korea, the Korean society will benefit from a larger pool of talent to draw from as well.

As a liberal democracy, Korea has compelling moral reasons to embrace foreigners as well. Democracy rests on the twin pillars of freedom and equality of all men and women. Truly democratic freedom and equality are universal, and therefore, would apply no less to foreigners than to Koreans. Interestingly enough, Korea traces its homogeneous lineage to the legendary demigod Dangun, who founded Ancient Korea with the vision of Hong-ik In-gan, i.e., bringing good for all humankind. It is in Korea's founding ideology to reach out to foreigners.

Of course, Korea cannot permit complete freedom of movement into the country right away. There will be issues to be addressed, as more and more foreigners enter Korea. Some of them are already surfacing. Some foreign brides married to Korean farmers have difficulty adjusting to a new life in an unfamiliar country, in some cases leading to dysfunctional families. Many young men who come to teach English at private institutions have questionable qualifications and background. Low-income immigrant workers are beginning to congregate in cheap neighborhoods, raising the prospect of ghettoes. Many foreign workers, especially illegal ones, work at places beyond the reach of the law enforcement and cannot receive due protection of their basic rights. It is my and my staff's job at the Korea Immigration Service to ensure that these and other destabilizing issues are adequately managed as Korea slowly but surely opens up to free human movement.

Today, free trade and free movement of capital are fueling an unprecedentedly prosperous globalized world. Well-guided free human movement is not only an economic imperative for the further prosperity of Korea and the world, but also a moral imperative that is in line with Korea's current democratic values and its ancient founding ideology. Korea is at an important crossroad. By gradually but steadfastly opening up to free human movement, Korea will not only find further economic prosperity, but also emerge as a leader among the world's liberal democracies in an important political issue.

http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/COM/bbs_03/ShowData.do
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afsjesse



Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ZzZz .... i dont fell at all Embraced by Korean society.
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normalcyispasse



Joined: 27 Oct 2006
Location: Yeosu until the end of February WOOOOOOOO

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SO embraced. Riiiiight.
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Optimus Prime



Joined: 05 Jul 2007

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is this from the Yangpa?
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Vicissitude



Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Optimus Prime wrote:
Is this from the Yangpa?

Laughing NOOO! Check the source I posted. It comes DIRECTLY from immigration. The Commissioner wrote it.
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Hanson



Joined: 20 Oct 2004

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's not that bad of an article, actually.
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Vicissitude



Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanson wrote:
It's not that bad of an article, actually.

Are you joking?

See the title "Korea As the Leader of Embracing Foreigners." So as a reader, we are expecting the content to show how Korea is a Leader with regards to how the country embraces foreigners. His entire first paragraph about foreign cars and talk shows is how he tries to prove his point as he moves on to conclude, "This is a momentous change for Korea." How does having foreign cars and talk shows about foreigners prove that Korea embraces foreigners? It doesn't. But then he completely negates his entire argument with this statement:

Quote:
As foreigners continue to trickle in and gain ever-greater presence in our society, Koreans may easily erupt in xenophobia and shun foreigners lest they damage our homogeneity or treat them as second-class residents leeching off Korea's wealth.


Then he continues to discuss all of the challenges and problems associated with foreigners in Korea. In no way does he show HOW Korean society is embracing foreigners. In FACT, he proves just the opposite!
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The_Eyeball_Kid



Joined: 20 Jun 2007

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Am I alone in my disappointment in finding that the Commissioner of Immigration (the COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION!) is as lacking in vision and enlightenment as the average f*ckwit on the street?

Is this barely credible newspeak agit-prop genuine? Is it some sort of joke? Or are we to take it that the Commissioner of Immigration is nothing more than a desk warmer who came to the position by virtue of his being someone's brother-in-law?

EDIT: It puts me in mind (and please read no alarmism aforethought into this) of the propaganda that the Nazis would put out in the 30s saying how they were leading the world in protecting the Jews and solving the Jewish problem by moving them into their own part of the country.
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afsjesse



Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree this guy doesn't seem to have a "open" mind view of immigration if you ask me... especially if he thinks were all leeching off of Korea's wealth and homogeneity... I mean for goodness sake, this guy must be reall closed minded and pessimistic towards foreigners... obviously.
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Bibbitybop



Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the tone the official uses when he describes resisting the tendency to treat foreigners at second-class citizens. However, this is probably not going to be read or translated to 99.9% of the Koreans. It's just a mask put on for foreigners.

I like this idea:
Quote:
leeching off Korea's wealth.


Yeah, all these English teachers from 1st world nations are here in this 2nd world nation to leech.

In the USA, if you bring in an Indian citizen to work in your IT department, do people think the Indian is leeching? Or just doing the job your hired him for? I can't remember the last time I leeched off of Korean. Oh, I remember. All the soju they buy at our dinners. I leeched that, but it feels like they injected into me.
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ceesgetdegrees



Joined: 12 Jul 2007

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Of course they are you ignorant dweebs. Korea is the world leader in everything that has been and everything to come. BOW DOWN!
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The_Eyeball_Kid



Joined: 20 Jun 2007

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bibbitybop wrote:
I like the tone the official uses when he describes resisting the tendency to treat foreigners at second-class citizens. However, this is probably not going to be read or translated to 99.9% of the Koreans. It's just a mask put on for foreigners.

I like this idea:
Quote:
leeching off Korea's wealth.


Yeah, all these English teachers from 1st world nations are here in this 2nd world nation to leech.

In the USA, if you bring in an Indian citizen to work in your IT department, do people think the Indian is leeching? Or just doing the job your hired him for? I can't remember the last time I leeched off of Korean. Oh, I remember. All the soju they buy at our dinners. I leeched that, but it feels like they injected into me.


That's what makes it even worse - this spiteful, half-witted bile is intended to be enlightened and generous inclusiveness!
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mercury



Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Location: Pusan

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My recent post on signs of insecurities covered this:





Materialistic
A very dangerous coping mechanism for insecurity is buying things you can�t afford just to show off. We can all think of people with huge TV�s, fast cars, and every toy known to man; even though they don�t make much money. People like this tend to run up their credit cards and get themselves into big trouble.
A secure person doesn�t need to show off. He doesn�t care what other people think about his possessions.



Defensiveness
Insecure people tend to be very sensitive to critique and respond with defensiveness. They aren�t comfortable enough with themselves to accept that they might be flawed.
A secure person can handle criticism. They�re open to hearing about ways they might improve. If they disagree with the criticism, they don�t try to argue because they�re happy with who they are.
They�re comfortable enough to be themselves, even if other people don�t like it. They realize that they can�t please everyone.



Self-Promoting
Insecure people tend to talk about themselves constantly, as if they feel like they have to prove themselves. Self-promotion is paramount to over-compensation for doubt.
A confident person doesn�t need to promote himself. His qualities are displayed naturally by the way he lives his life. Besides, he doesn�t need validation from anyone anyway.






Overly Competitive
Competitiveness is part of a healthy emotional makeup, but over-competitiveness is a sign of a problem. Someone who can�t take losing by making a big emotional display lacks confidence.
A person who is secure with himself wins or loses with grace. Grace has a lot to do with respecting your opponent, and you can only do that if you are first comfortable with yourself.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vicissitude wrote:
Optimus Prime wrote:
Is this from the Yangpa?

Laughing NOOO! Check the source I posted. It comes DIRECTLY from immigration. The Commissioner wrote it.


Your link is broken.
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itaewonguy



Joined: 25 Mar 2003

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

that was funny.. Laughing
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