Korea's Globalization

Samuel Kim (Ed.). (2000). NY: Cambridge University Press.

7. K. Moon. Strangers in the Midst of Globalization: Migrant Workers and Korean Nationalism (pp.147-169).
Through an empirical review about migrant workers in Korea, Moon points out globalization in Korea resembles its common dual process--market/labor integration as well as defensive nationalism. Here are some examples that support her propositions: as seen in the case that Korean Chinese are better welcome as labor force, cultural homogeneity is inveterate. Also, the opposition against legalizing an employment-permit system bears worried anticipation of massive labor movements from North Korea after Korean reunification. According to the author, this is territorially bounded--rather than ethnically or economically--nationalism which is expressed with xenophobia oppressive toward others. But in September 1997, Immigration Control Law was revised such that legal workers may be allowed to join unions. She argues that this revision resulted from worrying the international reputation of the nation. There were some changes in citizenship as well. Here is a quote from media that the author inserted with the revision: "the government's attempt to modernize the Korean legal order in accordance with the era of globalization" (Hankyoreh, 20 September 1997).

However, this soft policy took another turn with the IMF crisis with the announcement from Justice Ministry on December 27, 1997. All illegal foreign workers were required to leave by the end of March 1998 without fine. The author interprets this action as viewing migrant workers as a threat to national job security. Finally she states that democracy movements should temper excessive nationalism and boost globalization in terms of human rights and democritization, while resisting economic globalization.