In 2023 there have been roughly 2.5 million foreigners residing in South Korea, which can also be a well-liked vacation spot for migrant employees from locations equivalent to Nepal, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Most of them work in handbook jobs, with solely 13% in skilled roles.
“There isn’t any clear plan for immigration on the nationwide authorities stage,” says Lee Chang-won, the director of the Migration Analysis and Coaching Centre. “Fixing the nation’s inhabitants downside with foreigners has been an afterthought.”
Mr Lee provides that the present immigration coverage is “closely weighted in direction of low-skilled employees”, resulting in a “frequent view” that foreigners solely work in South Korea for some time after which go away. Because of this, he says, there was little dialogue about long-term settlement for all immigrants.
In line with present legal guidelines, the federal government is barely required to supply assist with issues like vocational coaching for foreigners who marry locals. The identical rights, nonetheless, should not prolonged to households solely made up of foreigners.
Analysts say a brand new regulation for these households is urgently wanted.
An Asan official, who requested anonymity, says it’s troublesome to safe funding for extra supporting amenities for Koryoin households as a result of there isn’t a authorized requirement to take action.
However regardless of these challenges, Mr Ni says he has not regretted the choice to maneuver to South Korea. He nonetheless will get a greater residing setting and better wages right here.
“For my youngsters, that is house,” he says. “After we visited Kazakhstan, they requested: ‘Why are we right here? We wish to return to Korea.’”