REDEFINING MULTICULTURAL FAMILIES IN SOUTH KOREA: Reflections and Future Directions | Edited by Minjeong Kim and Hyeyoung Woo

South Korea’s recent development of multiculturalism has garnered scholarly attention from various disciplines. This is because, as Minjeong Kim and Hyeyoung Woo state, this development is “not only [a] shift but [is] also antithetical to the country’s nationalist ideology of danil minjok (monoethnicity) and sunsu hyeoltong (pure bloodline)” (5). In their edited book, Redefining Multicultural Families in South Korea: Reflections and Future Directions, the editors address and reflect on critical issues related to discourses and systems concerning multicultural families in South Korea. Using different methodological approaches, the volume includes the original work and scholarly voices of both well-established and emerging scholars in the field of Korean migration, gender, family, and marriage, and provides a comprehensive view of the evolution of migration in Korea and where Korea currently stands.

The volume provides an excellent overview of the history and current status of multiculturalism in South Korea. While the book focuses on recent migrants who moved to Korea during and after the 1990s, in the introductory chapter the editors touch upon hwagyo (the Chinese diaspora in Korea) and white migrants, both of which are often absent from South Korea’s multicultural policy discourses. These groups were the first immigrants to South Korea before the Multicultural Families Support Act was enacted, predating the recent influx of migration. This is an important addition to understanding the diverse experiences of multicultural families in the South Korean context.

Each chapter provides excellent perspectives and critical reflections on the diverse realities of families within the framework of marriage and family dynamics as a distinct yet connected experience, offering insights into what multiculturalism and the lived experiences of multicultural families look like on the ground. Significant in this edited volume is that “power” is at the centre of the book’s argument. The editors acknowledge that the family is “an important site of power” (18), a crucial recognition that is often overlooked in both literature and discourse. It is an important recognition that not all members hold equal power within the so-called smallest unit of society, the family.

The volume is organized into four different themes: negotiating identities; making a living under immigration control; claiming rights and building lives; and the meanings of multicultural families and intergenerational relationships. In part 1, the chapters offer an understanding of the complex processes of identity formation, construction, and negotiation among members of multicultural families in South Korea. This prompts one to reflect on the representation of multicultural families: How are they portrayed in South Korea? How much do we truly understand about their experiences as members of Korean society? Part 2 focuses on the lived experiences of labour migrants, including undocumented migrants. Moving away from the main discourse on undocumented migrants, which has been focused on economic survival, part 2 of the volume directs attention to other crucial aspects of their lives: their agency, navigation of structural power (including immigration systems), and family building—all of which impact multicultural households and families in a significant way. These new findings contribute to the current scholarship by bringing to light the diverse realities of migrants in South Korea.

Part 3 explores in-depth the experience of marriage migrants, focusing on their encounters post-divorce in Korea. This exploration highlights the complexity of navigating the social system and how individual experiences differ. While much scholarship and policy initiatives centre around settlement and social integration, this research underscores the crucial role of post-support work, emphasizing that women’s lives do not stop after migration. Part 4 switches from marriage migrants to the emerging cohort of transnational families: the lived experiences of Korean women who are married to foreign men and of second-generation migrant children. This exploration prompts reflection on the future direction of policies and scholarship around multicultural families in South Korea.

One of the most compelling contributions of this book is Kim’s suggestion for future directions. Kim calls on scholars to persist in the necessary work of bringing visibility to the issues faced by second-generation immigrants, often referred to as multicultural children. Kim also suggests a more critical inquiry into our understandings of co-ethnic communities (i.e., co-ethnic support networks) and ethnic identities (which are currently discouraged by the Korean government). Lastly, Kim also suggests there is a need for research to explore ordinary Koreans’ responses and attitudes towards the ongoing paradigm, to consider a multicultural Korea at the personal level. All of the above are areas lacking attention, both in academic scholarship and in public discourse.

This interdisciplinary scholarship is a much-needed addition to the fields of gender, migration, family, and marriage. This book would be well suited for students, researchers, and policy makers in social sciences, as well as those in the field of Korean/Asian studies. For anyone seeking an in-depth understanding of the history of multiculturalism and multicultural policies in South Korea, as well as insights into current issues within the political climate, this book would be a valuable addition to their reading list. I particularly recommend including this book as essential reading/course material for undergraduate and graduate students undertaking courses in the sociology of Korea or related subjects.

Hyein Ellen Cho

Monash University, Melbourne