This study aims to derive multicultural policy theory from the Korean context and diagnose Korea's multicultural reality and policies based on the fact that research on multicultural policies in Korea has been conducted in a Western-biased manner. Unl...
This study aims to derive multicultural policy theory from the Korean context and diagnose Korea's multicultural reality and policies based on the fact that research on multicultural policies in Korea has been conducted in a Western-biased manner. Unlike previous research, this research interpreted the reality of multiculturalism in Korea based on the historical and cultural context based on the Ho-Rak debate of Joseon in the late 18th century and presented a multicultural policy model. The proposed model was based on the two dimensions of the Ho-ron(湖論) and Nak-ron(洛論), which are the two pillars of the Ho-Rak debate, and the two groups (domestic and foreign nationals) were used as the two pillars to build a 2x2 matrix (the Model of Domestic/Foreign-Ho/Rak Debate). As a result, we derive four types:
● Ne-Ho-Oe-Ho (內湖外湖: separation/exclusion)
● Ne-Ho-Oe-Nak (內湖外洛: voluntary assimilation/marginalization)
● Ne-Nak-Oe-Ho (內洛外湖: involuntary assimilation/discrimination/melting pot)
● Ne-Nak-Oe-Nak (內洛外낙洛: integration/multiculturalism)
Next, a semantic network analysis was performed on the minutes of the National Assembly's standing committee. The analysis targets 32 years of data from the 13th National Assembly (1988-1992) to the 20th National Assembly (2016-2020), which was conducted as a diachronic study. The connection-centeredness analysis and CONCOR analysis confirmed that Korea's multicultural discourse could be divided into three periods, from the 13th National Assembly to the 15th National Assembly (pre-discourse era: 1988-2000), from the 16th National Assembly to the 18th (discourse formation era: 2000-2012), and from the 19th National Assembly to the 20s (discourse settlement era: 2012-2020). Furthermore, the discourse's development process and policy direction were diagnosed by applying the discourse's contents to the Domestic/Foreign-Ho/Rak Debate model derived earlier in each National Assembly. It also identified the existence of policy gaps in the process.
As a result of the analysis, the pre-discourse era generally remained in Ne-Ho-Oe-Ho type, and there was no explicit direction for policies on foreigners because it was before multicultural discourse was triggered. However, there was an implicit direction that foreigners' policy should be adopted in the latter half of the pre-discourse era. Although it is hard to say that the policy gap occurred because there is no explicit direction, it can be said that the gap exists in that there is a gap between policy objectives and reality at an implicit level. This reality has since entered the discourse formation era, which has been the driving force behind multicultural discourse. The most significant difference between the discourse formation era and the pre-discourse era is the existence of discourse itself. As a result, this period's policy direction was changed from implicit Ne-Nak-Oe-Nak pursuit to explicit pursuit. Also, the reality of multiculturalism has shifted from Ne-Ho-Oe-Ho type to Ne-Nak-Oe-Ho type. Unlike the policy direction of pursuing Ne-Nak-Oe-Nak, it can be confirmed that the policy gap has occurred in that the actual policy is located in the Ne-Nak-Oe-Ho type. Finally, in the discourse settlement period, the policy direction was the same as the discourse formation period, but foreign workers (Ne-Nak-Oe-Ho) and multicultural families (Ne-Ho-Oe-Nak) belonged to different types of multicultural policies. This result confirms that in the discourse settlement era, the policy gap existed as in the previous era.
This study has the following implications: First of all, a model was presented to look at the multicultural reality and policies of Korea by historical and cultural contexts through the Ho-Rak debate, which is Korea's unique idea. Second, through 32 years of diachronic analysis, the study confirms the development process of multicultural discourse in Korea and changes in system and policymakers' perception of multicultural policies in the meantime. Third, the gap between policy direction through discourse and actual policy (policy gap) was identified, making it easier to analyze current multicultural policies.