Multicultural diversity

Systematic policy on immigrants necessary A Korea Times poll showed that 69.8 percent of Koreans backs the idea of stipulating multicultural diversity in the new Constitution. The open-mindedness is more evident among the young than the elderly. The proactive attitude toward foreigners needs cold assessment. The survey result is a source of encouragement to 1.2 million foreigners, about 2.4 percent of the population. It showed that 65 percent supported equal pay for migrant workers. About 81 percent in their 20s said the new Constitution should contain a code emphasizing the rights of multicultural families, higher than the views in the other age groups. About 54 percent called for migrant workers to enjoy the freedom to switch jobs. The majority back exemptions in military service and voting in local elections. Their open-mindedness belies the lingering foreign sentiment that “homogeneous” Koreans are nationalistic and sometimes xenophobic. A careful analysis of the attitude of Koreans shows that they are hospitable to foreigners. In international events and for tourists, this view is convincing. Streets are safe, and there are few reports of physical attacks on foreigners. There are cases of mistreatment of guest workers or delays in the payment of their salaries; episodes that sometimes spoil the image of Korea. The survey should get a cool assessment. In the survey, people tend to present a positive image. In the online world, people are close to reality. The positive sentiment prevails as the nation has yet to adopt an active immigration policy. Only less than 80,000 foreigners have been naturalized. About 100,000 are awaiting naturalization. They are not yet financially burdensome for local taxpayers. If the multicultural population is increasing to the level prevailing in such countries as the United States and France, it is unclear whether the view will remain intact. Many countries including France are in tension over the treatment of immigrants as the governments are in deficit. It is still unclear whether the Constitution will contain this public sentiment during any amendment. It is a well-known story that an opposition lawmaker became a target of threats when he tried to introduce the nation’s first anti-discrimination bill last year, including punishment for racist acts, including discriminatory wages based on nationalities and color of skin. In the online world, he received the threat of facing a boycott campaign in the next election if he “favored” foreigners. He is still unable to table the bill. The discrepancy between the opinion poll and the online world sentiment is a source of frustration for policymakers and lawmakers. In the online world, a few activists are campaigning against causes to the embarrassment of the majority of people. It is true offline opinion surveys are more scientific and broad-based than online polls. A noisy minority group of malicious cyber warriors distort legislation and divide opinions on issues. The dawning of a multicultural society is inevitable. Policymakers need to study cases of other countries so that they do not repeat their mistakes.