강남 꿈틀에서 래팅할래? (영어회화 동호회)

Korea's Identity Faces Challenge By Joseph Harte Assistant Professor of Law at Kyung Hee University       It seems the term ``multicultural society'' is everywhere these days. As a long-term foreign resident of Korea, it is heartening to hear that Korean society is finally beginning to seriously debate this issue. After the relentless globalization push of the nineties, it is only natural that at some point Korea would have to face the reality of an emerging multicultural society, for as Korea is quickly discovering, you can't have one without the other.     Globalization and People In the broadest of terms, globalization is driven by the movement of goods and people across borders. When we talk about the ``goods'' side of globalization, we are talking about economic globalization. This aspect of globalization is primarily concerned with challenges raised by tariff reductions, anti-dumping rules, ``trade in services,'' and the like; the sort of things with which anyone who has read the business section of their daily newspaper over the last 20 years should be quite familiar. The world has certainly put a great deal of effort into addressing the challenges raised by the "goods" part of globalization. With the establishment of the WTO, we now have a forum in which the nations of the world can sit down and work out their economic differences through rational discussion and debate. This forum comes complete with a dispute settlement mechanism and over 26,000 pages of rules and guidelines! And while the WTO is not without its controversies in terms of the impact of free trade on local economies and livelihoods, these problems are primarily economic in nature, requiring economic solutions. But when we talk about the ``people'' side of globalization, the challenges raised take on an entirely new dimension. This is due to the simple fact that we are no longer talking about the movement of objects. Rather, we are talking about the movement of human beings. And as these human beings move from one place to another, they bring with them and are confronted by all of the beliefs and prejudices, hopes and fears, love and hate that the human psyche can conjure. Of course, the ``goods'' part of globalization and the ``people'' part are not entirely independent of each other. Many people cross borders for economic reasons. However, when objects and services cross borders, they go where we tell them to go. They stay nicely packed in their boxes until we need them. They don't make a fuss about their "rights" or any such thing. With the establishment of the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) in 2001 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the world is perhaps moving in the direction of something akin to a ``WTO for the movement of people.'' But it is nowhere near the comprehensive nature of the WTO, and as such, global migration policy remains in many ways similar to where trade policy was 60 years ago: a patchwork of institutions, international agreements, and national policies. I have always found it remarkable that in a world where people of vastly different backgrounds are coming into contact with each other at a rate never seen before due to the pressures of globalization, we put so much effort into what is essentially an import/export regime, while paying comparatively little attention to the forces that drive some of the most hurtful expressions of hate and the most terrible acts of violence.     My Experience with Multicultural Issues My life is inextricably woven with the realities of globalization and multicultural society. When I was invited to write this article, I was asked to share a little bit about my background since it is has been shaped in many ways by the issues I am discussing here. I first came to Korea in 1991 after graduating from university in my home state of Michigan, in the U.S. I met my wife that year in Korea at the school where I was teaching English. She was my co-teacher and as I have always told her, everything I know about teaching, I learned from her. By the end of that first year, I had asked her to marry me. We knew that the challenges of an international/interracial marriage would be great but we decided that if the only reason for not climbing the mountain was for fear of the difficulties, there was not reason enough to turn away. We knew that between us, we could deal with anything the mountain had to offer. Unfortunately, my wife's parents were not so enthusiastic. I remember her father's words when he first heard we were dating. He said to her, ``Sell your car, quit your job, and get ready to move back to Busan!'' After considering our choices, and out of the love and respect I knew my wife felt for her father, we decided that the only option we had was to wait. In the meantime, I put off my plans for graduate school and earned a living teaching English while spending a lot of money learning Korean and learning about Korea. I studied for a year at Yonsei's Graduate School of International Studies and completed the Korean Language Program at Seoul National University. I did this because I knew that regardless of my career direction in the future, Korea would be a very large part of my life. But more importantly, in terms of the language, I wanted to be able to talk to my wife's family someday. As time passed, I also came face-to-face with some of the challenges of living a bicultural life. I came to know what it means to have people repeatedly make assumptions about me based on the shape of my face: assumptions regarding the food I like, assumptions about my political or social values, about my understanding of ``family relations,'' and assumptions about my ability to even have a basic understanding of Korean culture in spite of the many years I had spent here ㅡ just to name a few. I learned to put up with children shouting ``Hello'' at me five times a day (and often times shouting things far worse) as they laughed with their friends. I learned to put up with divisive policies in the workplace that always seem to put foreigners in a category separate from the Korean employees: separate staff meetings, separate communications, separate rules, exclusion from cultural events related to holidays, birthdays, funerals, and even separate seating in terms of desks or office space. I learned to accept the fact that every time I enter a subway car, a restaurant, or some other public space, at least three conversations will inevitably start up where the words ``우리나라'' (our country), ``영어'' (English), and ``외국인'' (foreigner) play a significant role in every other sentence. And finally, to top it all off, I was even punched in the face once while riding the subway by a drunken man who took it upon himself to alert me to the fact that I had big eyes and a big nose! As it turned out, the wait lasted a total of eight years. When my wife's father finally gave the OK, it was in the presence of a large gathering of relatives. After much cajoling, an ample amount of soju, much hesitation and a long silence, the irony of his words was lost on no one. His blessing reached our ears in four simple syllables: ``빨리 해라!'' (``Hurry up!'').     Multicultural Policies in Korea The broad array of national responses designed to deal with the powder keg of intercultural friction can all be grouped under the heading of ``multicultural policy.'' These policies include anything from educational programs, textbook revision, social integration policies, and public awareness campaigns, to human and civil rights policies, anti-discrimination laws and specifically-tailored social protection programs for the particularly vulnerable. Most nations of the world have at some time in the past 40 years struggled with the establishment, implementation and development of such policies. And while a multitude of approaches has emerged, some more successful than others, they all share a common theme, which is the promotion of a society in which all ethno-cultural groups share a profound respect for their differences while at the same time sharing a sense of identification and belonging with the larger community. It is precisely on this theme, however, where I think Korea may face its greatest challenge in terms of globalization and the development of a truly multicultural outlook. After much prodding from Korean civil society, including the various migrant communities now established in Korea, policymakers in Korea have embarked upon a program of multicultural policy development and implementation. In recognition of these developments, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK), in consultation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, recently hosted an international conference attended by other national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in Asia focusing on the theme of ``Human Rights of Migrants and Multicultural Society.'' At the conference, inaugurated by Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and open to the public, the commissioners of Asian NHRIs and their representatives met with various experts from around the world to share policy experiences and best practices on the issue of migrant rights and multicultural policies. A significant outcome of the conference was the adoption of the Seoul Guidelines on Cooperation of NHRIs for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Migrants in Asia. This document lays out a set of principles and specific action plans for coordination of NHRI migrant rights policy across Asia and it places Korea at the center of these developments with the establishment of the Seoul Process, a mechanism by which the implementation of the Seoul Guidelines will be developed, promoted, and monitored. It places Korea at the forefront of migration issues in Asia and it is hoped that it will lead to greater progress in the challenges faced by migrants in Korean society. In terms of Korean multicultural policy itself, as set by the government agencies responsible, an overview was presented at the Conference by Ms. Park Nan-sook, Director of the Division of Multicultural Families at the Korean Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. I recommend readers go to the NHRCK's Web site to download a copy of her presentation materials for a more detailed overview of Korean multicultural policies than space here allows. I was also privileged to share my own views at the Conference regarding the interaction between human rights law and multicultural policy. It is from this perspective that I would like to offer a brief critique of the multicultural policy in Korea as it currently stands.     Cultural Diversity and National Identity As I mentioned above, it is on the multicultural message of mutual respect in an environment of shared identity and belonging that I feel Korea may face its greatest challenge to reaching true globalization, if that is its goal. This is because Korean identity and society, as defined by Koreans, is one that is homogenously defined and unreceptive to those who are not of pure Korean descent. This is an old problem and one that has been pointed out on a number of occasions, but it is a persistent problem and presents a serious obstacle to the development of a stable multicultural society on the peninsula. I recently came across an example of the kind of insensitivity this mentality can create in a publication that seemed to be written in support of the needs of children of intercultural/interracial marriages. The point of the article seemed to be arguing for the inclusion of interracial children in Korean society. Yet when the article mentioned one of the central activities that was the focus of the events covered, the reporter spoke of a meeting between ``interracial families and Korean families.'' To someone such as myself, the distinction was glaring. In fact, it was heartbreaking. Are the families of interracial marriages not Korean families? And do the children of these marriages not belong to Korean families? The article specifically spoke of one of the parents being Korean. What part of that family is not Korean? It's a terrible question to try to answer. Now, I doubt that the writer of the article meant any harm by that oversight. But what it demonstrates is a persistent pattern of thinking that fails to include people of non-Korean descent in the identity of the larger community. As long as this pattern persists, Korea cannot call itself a multicultural society. At best, it is a monocultural society with 1,000,000 guests. Unfortunately, I do not think that current multicultural policy has taken this issue into account. Current policy tends to focus on educating newcomers on how to fit into Korean society. While these programs are certainly useful, there seem to be no serious policies going the other way. I have not seen in any of the current policies an attempt to convince Koreans that those of non-Korean descent who work, live, and may even someday die here, are ``one of us.'' The Korean government is pushing to make Korea a globalized nation. But it has done very little to promote a concept of Korean national identity that is capable of embracing those who are here as a result of that very same globalization drive. Of course, there is plenty more that can be said about the roots and causes of the Korean insular identity and whether it is not in fact a more recent phenomenon in Korea's history than some may suppose. But that will have to wait for another time.     `Korea Plus' ㅡ Affirming Korean Culture while Expanding its Boundaries Korea cannot keep its insular identity and at the same time hope to build a mature and modern society that is a member of the global community. These ideas are simply mutually exclusive. Simply put, insular is the opposite of global. You cannot join the clubs of others if you do not let them join yours. It is insincere and hypocritical to imagine that you can do so. However, this does not mean that Koreans in any way have to give up or lose any part of what it is that makes them Korean. It always surprises me to hear people talk of the risk of losing Korean culture due to outside influences and globalization. But do they really think that five thousand years of cultural history is going to be undone by any amount of recent or even future globalization? This defensive attitude may have served Korea well as it faced the constant invasions of its difficult history and the horrors of colonization. But it is now simply counterproductive given Korea's status as a developed nation in a globalizing world. The concept of Korean national identity, by whatever name we wish to call it, needs to expand to include all those who work and live here. And it is up to the Korean government to put into place policies that promote this point of view. Of course, this isn't going to happen over night. I don't think the entire population is going to wake up tomorrow morning and suddenly realize they can be part of the global family without losing anything that makes them Korean. But I do know that change is taking place one person at a time. As each multicultural issue is dealt with thoughtfully, respectfully, and fairly, more and more people will be comfortable with joining a multicultural worldview. I know this because I have met so many wonderful people here in Korea who have already made the transition. They have figured out how to keep and share their Korean identity while jettisoning the ``us and them'' mentality. In the words of one of those good people, these changes are happening, and will continue to happen ``step by step.''   Multicultural Policy Suggestions 1. As the steward of a modern nation-state, the Korean government needs to take the lead in transforming Korea's modern identity. Multicultural policy should promote the idea that ``Korea'' is not just a nation of ethnic Koreans. Rather, it is a modern nation-state that encompasses all ethno-cultural groups within its borders. 2. Policy statements regarding globalization should acknowledge that globalization and multiculturalism are inseparable concepts, because globalization is just as much about the movement of people across borders as it is about the movement of goods. This is true for both long-term development and short-term objectives. Even non-Koreans who are here for a short time will benefit greatly from an improved environment of tolerance and inclusion. 3. Early multicultural education policies should not focus only on the teaching of Korean culture and Korean language to the children of multicultural Korean families. They should also focus on the teaching of an appreciation for world cultures to all grade school students to promote a broadened worldview of what it means to be a member of the national community living on the Korean peninsula. 4. A public awareness campaign should be implemented around the theme of something similar to the ``Korea Plus'' concept above; a campaign that emphasizes the wonderfully deep and time-honored qualities of Korean culture while embracing an expanded identity that moves beyond the outdated concepts of cultural homogeneity. ======================================================================================================== # Questions #   1. What does 'globalisation' mean to you? what about the people side of globalisation? (from (your) political, economic, social, your personal point of view or the point of view of human rights) 2. What is your thinking about foreigners' coming into Korea for working, living, getting married and so on? (from (your) political, economic, social, your personal point of view or the point of view of human rights?) 3. What are your thoughts in general on foreigners? your assumptions? understanding? Let's talk about it freely. 4. Korea is moving towards becoming a multi-cultural society? What is your opinion? And what does it mean to you? 5. Do we need to accept foreigners as part of our society? and Why? 6. What is your thinking about international/interracial marriages and children from them? 7. What is your definition of KOREAN? Can foreigners ever be real KOREANs? (Us and THEM questions?) What about the Korean national identity? 8. What is your opinion on the following. 'Current policy tends to focus on educating newcomers on how to fit into Korean society.' 9. To be a multicultural society, what do we have to do? and why?