Political Rights of Immigrants in Korea

Abstract

An important variable in immigration policy is the immigrant’s regime. Korean immigrants are divided into three types; guest workers, foreign wives of Korean men, foreign compatriots mostly with Chinese passport. South Korea’s immigration policy is based on the guest worker regime, which basically allows foreigners to live for a certain period of time and they are supposed to return back after an acceptable period of time. However, with the recent increase in married migrant women and the increasing number of their children, Korea should now be interested in social integraion policy of immigrants. It is the political right of immigrants that begins this discussion. South Korea was fairly proactive in granting suffrage in local elections for immigrants with permanent residency. However, their turnout is low and has no practical significance. In order to integrate Korean society more efficiently, a variety of integration methods are needed, such as the granting of political rights, participation in advisory bodies, and participation in programs that can encourage understanding of Korean society.