Political efficacy and political trust among marriage immigrants in South Korea

Abstract

To promote a multicultural society, the South Korean government has adopted various policies to create an environment conducive for the social, economic, and political participation and integration of marriage immigrants. To this end, political trust and political efficacy are important considerations. Using data from a survey of 138 respondents, this study examined the political attitudes of marriage immigrants according to selected characteristics: origin, age, area of residence, length of residence, income, and education. The study found that their average political efficacy and trust are low and their modal political orientation is alienated. Marriage immigrants have distinct concerns and their political attitudes appear to be related to the challenges of adapting to Korean society and influenced by the policy environment. The observed variations in their political efficacy and trust do not systematically follow the trends observed in other studies of South Koreans and citizens in other countries and ...