With the increasing visibility of migrants in South Korean society the need to reconsider the existing cultural order of South Korea based on the concept of ‘homogeneous nation’ is becoming paramount. This research is a response to such a need. As part of the attempts to illuminate any possible agenda that may arise around the issues of diversity and difference as more and more people with different cultural backgrounds interact each other, this research seeks to find policy alternatives. Specifically, this research seeks to identify particular and general aspects of the process in which South Korean society is moving toward a multicultural society and the cultural issues mostly likely to arise in the future or have already manifested. It also attempts to present a future direction of cultural policy through a review of the current status of cultural polices related to multiculturalism.
Until recently, South Korean society was characterized as an exceptional example of a society composed of a homogeneous nation in the world. However, South Korea is now faced with a challenge of transforming itself into a multicultural society in light of the fact that there are an increasing number of ‘new’ migrants seeking residency in South Korea. Of course, considering the fact that a transition to a multicultural society takes a long time with various stages of challenges and responses, South Korean society is still at an enfant stage as it only just began to question the myth of national and cultural homogeneity.
Since 2006, the South Korean government began to implement numerous policies to support migrants' integration into the mainstream culture and to raise awareness on minorities under the name of ‘multicultural policies.’ Nevertheless, existing policies have several important limitations. First, they define diversity as a negative factor at both individual and societal levels, thus, failing to present a positive vision on migrants and multicultural society. Second, instead of seeking a new paradigm that rises to the socio-demographic and cultural changes, they put priority on integration to the existing social order. Third, they treat migrants and Koreans as two separate groups faced with different challenges. Fourth, they disseminate a static and distorted perspective on culture by using the names like multicultural education and multicultural festivals equating nations with cultures. Such a perspective may hinder any attempt to create a new relationship fitting for new social changes. Unfortunately, the government lacks any counter-measure. Fifth, the direction and policies to eliminate social prejudices against migrants and promote intercultural communication are ambiguous and at most inadequate.
For the realization of a position order of multicultural society, this research recommends the following. First, moving away from the tendency to equate culture with each sending country and the mechanical and static approach of making difference an absolute in favor of a policy paradigm that emphasizes communication and process is recommended. Second, the perspective of treating Koreans and migrants as separate groups must be avoided and the inclusive subject of a multicultural society must be identified. Third, a cultural policy to promote multicultural citizenship must be implemented. Fourth, support for programs promoting intercultural communication must be increased. Fifth, a concept of cultural rights for migrants must be defined. From a long-term perspective, a preliminary study for a clear position of the government on cultural rights of minority at a community level should be carried out with an expectation of the formation of ethnic communities.
Keywords: multicultural society, cultural policy, cultural right, multicultural citizenship, intercultural communication
Keywords: multicultural society, cultural policy, cultural right, multicultural citizenship, intercultural communication ？
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