By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
SEOUL, South Korea – A report issued on October 21 by Amnesty International reveals the country’s social concern over racism and discrimination.
The report showed that there is a widespread racist sentiment against migrant workers, who mostly are from poor Asian countries. In compiling its research, the human rights organization cited sexual abuse, racial slurs, inadequate safety training and the mandatory disclosure of H.I.V. status, a requirement not imposed on South Koreans in the same jobs. The report also found in citing local news media and rights advocates, that following last year’s financial downturn, “incidents of xenophobia are on the rise.”
South Korea is noted as a country that has been repeatedly invaded by neighboring countries, and as a result, the people of South Korea have grown to adopt racial outlooks that have been colored by “pure-blood” nationalism as well as traditional patriarchal mores, according to Seol Dong-hoon, a sociologist at Chonbuk National University. There are even reports that North Korean authorities force women to have abortions who return home pregnant after going to China to find food, as stated by defectors and human rights groups.
The report goes on to assess how globalization for many South Koreans, has largely meant increasing exports or going abroad to study, and that now that it is also bringing an influx of foreigners into a society where 42 percent of respondents (in a 2008 survey) said they had never once spoken with a foreigner.
There is evidence though, that action is being taken to remedy this perverse level of racism. On July 10, Bonogit Hussain, a 29-year-old Indian man, and Hahn Ji-seon, a female Korean friend, were riding a bus near Seoul when another passenger made racial and sexist comments toward them. Customarily, this interaction was not unfamiliar, however, this time the media in the South Korean media broadcasted the incident, and subsequently, prosecutors sprang into action. The passenger was found, identified, arrested, and charged with contempt. This is noteworthy, because for the first time, such charges had been applied to an alleged racist offense.
As a result of this case, which is pending in court, rival South Korean political parties have begun drafting legislation that for the first time would provide a detailed definition of discrimination by race and ethnicity and impose criminal penalties.
For more information, please see:
EIN World News Report – South Korea Racism & Xenophobia News – November 2, 2009
New York Times – South Koreans Struggle With Race – November 2, 2009
The Hankyoreh – Foreigners cite nationalism, discrimination as barriers to life in Korea – April 23, 2009
