Northeast Asia as a Transnational Space:
Regional Integration via Transnationalism and Multiculturalism

2008.8.25
In-Jin Yoon
(Department of Sociology, Korea University)

Contents
 Northeast Asia as a transnational space Trends and characteristics of internationalmigration in Asia
 Trends and characteristics of internationalmigration in South Korea
 Multiculturalism in South Korea
 Regional integration via transnationalism andmulticulturalism2Asia on the move
 Asia has become one of the most significant and“globalized” regions in the world not only interms of the cross-border movement of capitaland goods, but also in terms of the movement ofpeople.
 It

accounts for some 28% of the world'sinternational migrants.

3

Impacts of migration
 International migration is having significant

impacts in the social, demographic andeconomic development of all Asian nations.
 Over 20 million Asian workers are estimated tobe living outside their native countries.

4

Asia as a transnational space Foreign direct investment, international trades,

study abroad, tourism, and international
marriage increase at an increasing rate in Asia.
 As a result of international migration, Asia has

become a transnational space for the economy,culture, family, community, and identity.

5Trends and characteristics
 The various subregions of Asia have beencharacterized by specific migratory movements.
 Traditionally, South Asia is identified as asubregion of origin of migration, East Asia as asubregion of destination and South-East Asia asa subregion of both origin and destination.

6

New trends of migration in Asia
 In East Asia, migration from China has become

important in Japan and South Korea.
 Koreans continue to enter Japan and China.

 South Asia cannot be considered just a

subregion of origin, in view of the substantial
migration from Bangladesh and Nepal to India.

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Issues of international migration in Asia
 Brain drain or brain circulation
 Return migration
 Feminization of migration

 Female trafficking
 Marriage migration
 Remittances Transnational households and communities

8

Trends of migration in South Korea

 From an immigrant-sending country to animmigrant-receiving country after the 1988 Seoul
Olympic Games

9

Increase of foreigners in SK

64% increase of foreignvisitors to South Korea
from 1997 to 2006
(7,506,804 in 1997 to12,312,871 in 2006)

Size of foreigners in SK
1,000,000
800,000
600,000400,000



135% increase offoreigners staying inSouth Korea from 1997
to 2006 (386,972 in 1997
to 910,149 in 2006)

200,000
1994년 1997년 2000년 2003년 2006년

 In August 2007, the numberof foreigners reached 1
millions, accounting for 2% of
the SK population.
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Issues of international migration in South Korea



Foreign migrant workers and foreign labor
policy1.
2.

High-skilled workers
Low-skilled workers

Overseas Koreans and unequal treatments
International marriage and social integrationof marriage immigrants and children ofinternational marriage

11Increase of migrant workers
 142% increase of foreign migrant workers

from 1995 to 2005 (140,000 in 1995 to345,000 in 2005)
 180,000 unauthorized migrant workers,

accounting for half of all migrant workers.

12Source countries of migrant workers
 The largest sending country is China
 Half of Chinese immigrants to Korea areethnic Koreans in China
 Other sending countries include thePhilippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia,Thailand, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, SriLanka, Russia, India, Nepal, Kazakhstan,Myanmar, and Iran.

13

Increase of International marriage# of foreign brides marrying Korean men between ’90~’05: 160,000

35,000Foreign wives

30,00031,18025,00020,00015,000Foreign husbands
11,941

10,0005,000
0' 90 ' 91' 92 ' 93' 94 ' 95 ' 96

' 97 ' 98 ' 99 ' 00 ' 01 ' 02 ' 03 ' 04 ' 05 Year

1st stage

2nd stage

14

3rd stageSource countries of International marriage
Korean men + foreign women

Korean women + foreign men

25,0006,000
China(110,000)

China(12,000)

20,0005,000

15,0004,000
Japan(3,300)
3,000

10,000

Other(1,400)
Vietnam(10,000)

5,000

US(1,800)

Other(19,000)

1,000Japan(16,000)
0

2,000

US(4,800)
’92

’95

’98

’01

’03

0’05

15

’92

’95

’98

’01

’03

’05

Percent of int’l marriage
 International marriages accounted for 11% of

total marriages in South Korea in 2006.
 Percent of international marriages reachedabove 33% in rural areas in 2006.
 7,000 children of multicultural families in 200616

Consequences of migration
 Creation of ethnic communities (e.g., theBorderless Village in Ansan, Kyonggi Province) Transnational family and social and economiclinkages between South Korea and neighboring
Asian countries
 Impetus for change of Koreans’ concept ofnational identity

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Becoming multicultural
 South Korean society is entering the firstphase of multiethnic and multicultural society.
 The current trend is a challenge for South

Korean society known for strong homogeneity
and nationalism.
 South Koreans need to develop new values

and systems for social integration inmulticultural environments.
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From migrant worker problem to social
integration problem
 Initially migrant worker problems involved

labor supply and human rights issues.
 Now other issues related with social

integration are important: marriage, family,naturalization, citizenship, education, healthand medical service, welfare, community,assimilation, and identity.

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Definition of multiculturalism

 a belief or a doctrine that all citizens in a society

can proudly maintain their own cultural identities
and simultaneously have a sense of belonging
to the society government policy initiatives to implement such

ideals and values

20Troper’s definition of multiculturalism

1.

2.

3.

the demographic plurality of ethnocultural
traditions and racial origins
a social ideal or value that accepts cultural
pluralism as a positive and distinctive feature ofsociety
government policy initiatives designed torecognize, support, and some might arguemanage cultural and racial pluralism21

SK government’s response Reform of foreign labor policy
 Establishment of immigration policy and laws
 Establishment of organizations responsiblefor immigration and integration of foreigners
 Support NGOs to take care of migrant
workers and international marriage women Multicultural education for the general
population

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Reasons for rapid government’s response Popular support for policy for international

marriage women and children of multicultural
family Partnership between the government and civilsociety during the progressive administrations
 Personal interest in human rights of minorities
and leadership of President Roh Moo Hyun inimmigration policy23Nature of SK government’s policy
 It does not orient toward multiculturalism in

Canada and other advanced westerncountries.
 It is more like multiculture-oriented policy andvery assimilationist in essence.
 It is similar to Japanese policy of multicultural

coexistence.

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State-led vs. Citizen-led multiculturalism
State-led multiculturalism

Citizen-led multiculturalism

Main actor

Government (Central andlocal governments)

Immigrants and NGOs andcitizens

Direction

Multiculturalism from above Multiculturalism from below

Goals

Social integration andnational integration

Protection of human andcultural rights of minorities

Problems

Suppression of minorities
by the majority group

Radical and difficult toobtain social consensus

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Governance system The governance system where the central

government, local governments, NGOS, andforeigners govern collectively.
 Division of labor and partnership amongmajor actors of a multicultural society26

Enduring bases of the East Asian Community
Community

East Asian Community

Geographical proximity

Greater proximity due totransportation andcommunication
Interpersonal relationships

Migration and transnationaland social networks

familyCommon identity andEast Asian identity?

solidarity27Regional integration via
transnationalism and multiculturalism Transnationalism and multiculturalism provide

enduring bases for the East Asian Community.

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References

Basch, L., N. Glick, and C. Blanc, 1994, Nations Unbound:Transnational Projects, Postcolonial Predicaments andDeterritorialized Nation-States, Basle: Gordon & Breach.
Kivisto, Peter, 2002, Multiculturalism in a Global Society, MA:Blackwell Publishing.
Kymlicka, Will, and Baogang He (eds.), 2005, Multiculturalism inAsia, Oxford University Press.
Taylor, Charles, 1992, Multiculturalism and "The Politics ofRecognition“, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Smith, M., and L. Guarnizo (eds.), 1998, Transnationalism fromBelow, New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.
Vertovec, S., 1999, “Conceiving and researchingtransnationalism,” Ethnic and Racial Studies 22(2), 446-462.

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