Korean Job Discussion Forums

[GJoeM]

It won't happen because the very idea of mass immigration is repellent to Koreans, full stop. They have one of the lowest population growth rates in the developed world; it's considered an emergency, but even though they are aware of how serious it is, they would never accept a 'non pure race' foreigner as being Korean. It is highly unlikely that is going to change.

There would be street wars if significant numbers of 'half bloods' in their tens of thousands proudly asserted themselves as Koreans and claimed equal rights.

It ain't going to happen.

South Koreans don't even accept North Koreans or Chinese-Koreans -- they are alienated and treated very badly here -- what makes you think they are ever going to accept tens of thousands of foreigners here having equal status as them, before the law, as equal citizens?


It's never going to happen.

South Koreans are so brutally competitive amongst their own people and driven to clash with each other in a crude 'winner takes all' race -- do you think they'd ever open up that competition to foreigners? Dream on.

I have no idea what Korea plans to do then, about their population crisis.

[GJoeM]

nicwr2002 wrote "If England is indeed multicultural, then why do they deny visas to spouses of UK citizens? Why are they forced to live in an EU country before being allowed to enter England? Even UK citizens with children can't get their spouse a visa to live and work in England."

Forced to live in the EU? What on earth are you talking about? Well, for a start Britain IS IN the EU, and is one of its oldest members, so your sentence makes no sense from the outset, but I presume you think spouses are forced to live in Denmark or Italy or something equally bizarre.

Good grief man, where do you get such absurd misinformation from?

Yes, there have certainly been recent cases of spouses being refused right to remain in England -- there was a recent uproar publicised in The Guardian, where an ethnic British woman with a child had great difficulty in getting a visa for her husband -- I am entirely sure there are other similar unjust cases -- but these are exceptions rather than the norm.

[krnpowr]

[Neil]

Somebody has to pay for the healthcare and pensions of the increasing amount of elderly.

Korea has probably seen the biggest leap in life expectancy of the developed world due to massivly improved hospitals and diet compared to a generation ago. Out of the current crop of adjoshis and adjumas an unprecedented amount are going to survive into their 90s and 100s.

This is a good thing, but someone has to pay for it.

[jazzmaster]

[Chaparrastique]

[GJoeM]

krnpwr wrote "You apparently haven't noticed, but the number of migrants in Korea has been rising steadily- primarily from Asian countries such as China, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Central Asia, and many others."

Yes, I have noticed the inflow of these groups -- I have lived here for more than ten years -- I have also noted that they are not accepted by Korean society on any level; in fact they are treated with contempt and thought of as lesser beings, so what makes you think their future here is rosy? Ask any Korean if he accepts -- to use a deeply unpleasant phrase -- a dark South East Asian 'half blood' as being on the same level as him as a Korean.

Let me know how that goes wont' you -- I know they are here in high numbers -- but their future as equal citizens is uncertain.

Psy's 'kangnam style' video featured a 'half blood' Korean- Vietnamese boy -- the little boy was inundated with a campaign of vile racist online abuse and harassment. The ruling party has ONE 'foreigner' in its ranks -- she receives torrents of racial abuse and threats of physical violence. 'Half blood' school children are also tormented here.

So there's another set of problems on the way.

I have no idea how Koreans are going to solve their population problem if that is their perspective.

Koreans don't even get along with each other -- for all their talk of patriotism, nationalism and 'Jeong', they fight each other day in day out -- it's a culture of the harshest competition, from start to finish. The suicide rate here is through the roof. If they can't even get along with each other, why does anyone think they are suddenly going to treat immigrants with kindness and acceptance? They don't even show softness to each other. In fact to do so is seen as a sign of weakness -- it is vanquisher and vanquished here in Korea.

As to your question, 'what's wrong with a small population anyway' -- well, personally speaking, I agree -- but Korea wants to be an aggressive world leading economy, in the top ten most powerful in the world, which in terms of realpolitik is a logical ambition -- they can't do that however, with a shrinking population.

So either they accept higher immigration, and treat the newcomers properly, without harassment and with some degree of dignity -- or, they stay as a race based blood line obsessed inward looking monoculture and retire from their ambitions as a world leading top ten power.

It is not my business what they choose to do -- I am just a teacher here -- but those are the choices.

[GJoeM]

''‘Little PSY’ Subject of Online Racial Hatred''

''Hwang Min-woo, popularly known as ‘Little PSY’ for his stint in the Gangnam Style music video, has been catapulted into the limelight. The boy’s multicultural background (his mother is a naturalised Korean from Vietnam) attracted the attention of Ilbe which mounted a high-profile hate-campaign this week. Given the track-record of Ilbe’s kulturkampf and their unabashed xenophobic stance, this fray with the 9-year old is likely to continue until some form of legal intervention takes place.''

http://www.koreabang.com/2013/stories/little-psy-subject-of-online-racial-hatred.html

''Xenophobia Against Newly-elected Filipina-Korean Spreads Online''

http://www.koreabang.com/2012/stories/xenophobia-against-newly-elected-filipina-korean-spreads-online.html

''Jasmine Lee faces racial backlash ''

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/04/117_109014.html

[GJoeM]

There is a massive difference between, on the one hand, accepting temporary guest workers ( as Gulf Arab countries have decided to do), and on the other hand, accepting that those temporary visitors are staying, and thus will not be happy existing on the fringes of society as a despised underclass, and will eventually expect to be accorded equal rights before the law.

Korea is reluctant to address where they stand on this -- and Korea is equally reluctant to think about what society needs to do next if the latter is the choice the govt make.

[jvalmer]

[GJoeM]

Agreed, but is Korean socieity addressing the following kind of thing ( see link), and indeed, what I added above in the links about Psy's dancer, the 'half blood' prejudice against politicians and school children? Those tens of thousands of 'half blood' children now here in Korea are going to grow up , and they are going to expect to be treated as equals before the law, with a degree of dignity. Do you really think that Korean society will accept them as such ?


"Lack of law against racial discrimination leaves foreigners vulnerable"

By Kim Rahn

An ethnic Uzbekistan woman has filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission after she was denied entrance to a sauna here.

A sauna employee refused to admit to the woman, a naturalized Korean, saying she was still a “foreigner” by appearance and foreign users may “make water in bathtub dirty” ...

Such an action was possible because there is no law on discrimination by race, according to a support center for immigrants.

“Many foreigners face such discrimination often but mostly they remain silent because they don’t speak Korean well and don’t know where they can appeal,” said Ku Su-jin

http://www.debito.org/?p=9529

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/10/117_96613.html

[jvalmer]

[GJoeM]

You seem very sure of that acceptance in society here, against all the evidence I might say. I wonder how many of these people you know or what experience you have yourself of mixed relationships here and how much you know about having a mixed race child here in Korea.

Perhaps you should listen to those that do have years of experience of the above. You may learn something about their reality and not just ideas.

''Korea's Immigration Problem

Seoul needs newcomers to boost its economy and birth rate. But will they stay?''

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324634304578538443521970514

''South Korea's Immigrant Problem


South Korea still has a long way to go before it solves its growing multicultural problem.''

http://thediplomat.com/2014/11/south-koreas-immigrant-problem/

[jvalmer]

[GJoeM]

There is truth in what you write, especially about life being tough for 'full blood' Koreans anyway – the struggle is not ‘exclusive’ to the ‘half bloods’ -- I made the point in my earlier post, that life is so brutally competitive here, Koreans have no love for each other, and softness and acceptance even amongst each other is not a respected value here

But back to the mixed race kids -- yes, they may intermarry, but in the long run, 'half bloods' marrying other ghetto-ised 'half bloods' is no solution at all for a successful society -- because eventually, the 'half bloods' will expect to be treated with the same level of dignity, and with the same rights, as 'pure' Koreans, and they will expect to play a role in wider society, in academia, politics , business and culture.

And 'pure race' Koreans won't let them -- not without a fight.

South Koreans won't even allow Chinese-Koreans and other ethnic Koreans a foot in the door here. Even 'pure race' North Korean refugees are despised here and not accepted, and typically move to UK to escape the discrimination they get here ( Many articles online in The Guardian and The Diplomat about the prejudice they get in South Korea)

I have no idea what will happen, but I do know Koreans are stubborn and hugely, aggressively proud of their 'racial distinctness' and 'blood purity' -- that is not going to go away.