• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.181-202
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to discuss the lives of foreign labor in S. Korea from the perspective of their information behavior. Special concern was on investigating both meaning and value of information in their everyday lives. Also discussed was information poverty which most of them have been faced with. To this end, a typical foreign labor sample, who were named as 'H', was carefully chosen, observed, and interviewed. Through the investigation this study found out there were many barriers that had negative influences on their active information seeking and use. Also found out is most of the barriers comes from the individual factors as well as socio-structural ones. In conclusion this study suggests the basic strategies to improve and promote their information welfare.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.44
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• pp.191-209
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• 2016

This article aims to analyze the perception of Korean-Chinese in South Korea to understand the mentality of South Korean people in a multicultural society through exploring Korean films in which Korean-Chinese characters have been represented since 2000. For this purpose, Korean-Chinese characters represented in Korean Films are divided into male and female. It could be said that South Koreans are biased against Korean-Chinese, who are considered 'others' under the economic and cultural hierarchy. Female characters are presented as 'pure' and 'frail' in the migration narrative while male characters are 'indecent' and 'brutal' individuals in crime narrative films. Meanwhile, Haemoo [Sea fog] is a story about economically weak Koreans and Korean-Chinese who were in economical conflict with each other, but were victims of the economical restructuring systems under neo-liberalism.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.185-201
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• 2015

This paper suggests how Korean housemaids, called Sikmo, and Korean-Chinese migrant domestic workers have similar class positions and therefore form a dual identity in their interactions with female employers. rough spoken stories of the experiences of 27 females from Seoul, including Korean-Chinese domestic workers, Korean housemaids, and their employers, this research effectively overcomes the dichotomous discourse of natives versus foreigners. Instead it suggests the new interpretation that it is not foreignness but class inferiority of the domestic workers that plays a key role in establishing relationships with employers. Korean housemaids and Korean-Chinese domestic workers, both groups of whom are migrant workers, have developed coping strategies to enhance their labor value by spatially relocating themselves from their home society to a new society. They possess a similar labor status in women's history, being of low income, low education, and rural births. Consequently, these women experience 'translocal anchoring,' meaning their identities are intertwined with that of their home societies, and employers perceive them based on the characteristics of these places. The Korean employers perceive that the domestic workers' morality and intellectuality are inferior based on their class differences. This stigmatizing process leads employers to regard domestic workers as ambivalent people, not only threatening outsiders but also objects of pity, needing love and protection of their employers. The employers educate them culturally, teaching them skills to survive in the urban environment. These skills include cooking and language, in addition to advice on long-term plans to blend into society.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.179-206
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• 2001

This study examines degree of fairness migrant workers in Korea feel with their wages in comparison to those of their homeland and Korean workers who do the same job in Korea as theirs, and what factors affect the feelings. For the study, 742 migrant workers from China, Vietnam, Philippines, and Indonesia employed by manufacturing firms in Seoul and Gyenggi areas were surveyed. The results show that most migrant workers in Korea feel unfair about their wages, and the feeling of unfairness appears more strongly when comparing with the Korean workers than with their homeland workers. The effectiveness of variables affecting fairness also varies according to the object of comparison: in comparison to homeland workers, age, sex, monthly income before migration, money spent for employment, and satisfaction with working conditions are significant: in comparison to Korean workers, ethnicity, sex, legal status, satisfaction with working conditions are significant.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.1-15
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is getting information for making a plan of immigrant workers in Korea. As a first step to suggest plans for immigrant workers who have multi-cultural background, this study investigated to the domestic living of Koreans(ChoSun-Tribe) of Gillim province in China. For this, usage of domestic space questionnaire were used. Results of the research were as follows. 1. The most popular LDK type was the one which kitchen was separated from living room and dining room. Most of them thought that kitchen and living room have to be separated. 2. There was no plan for laundry room specially and most houses have a washing machine in the bathroom. Most houses didn't install a bathtub in the bathroom and they didn't think that it was indispensable. 3. It was estimated that they used a living room as a multi-purpose room for the family but used a master bedroom for its own purpose. 4. They used a table and chair for meals normally but they took meals sitting on the floor with a large family or guest. 5.All of them took off the shoes inside of the house for hygienic reason. There was no plan for the space to take on-off shoes in most houses and they just put the mat on the floor for it. 6. Modified Ondol system which use water pipe under the floor was popular in apartment while most detached houses had traditional Ondol system. The satisfaction about Ondol system was very high compared to other ones and also Ondol system was the most desirable one for ChoSun-Tribe.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.438-457
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• 2019

The main purpose of this paper is to identify the entry types and locational determinants of North Korean workers in cross-border regions between North Korea and China. More specifically, the paper has attempted to divide the entry type of them in the regions into two; 1) entry via transactions between Chinese traders with North Korea and North Korea trade companies, and 2) entry via transactions between Korean-Chinese middlemen and North Korean trade companies. Also, it has analyzed main factors of their locational determinants in the spatial contexts of the regions. There have been changes in two perspectives in terms of the entry paths and types of them in accordance with the transformation of characteristics of United Nations sanction against North Korea from 'call-upon' to 'decide' after UN Security Council Resolution 2094 in 2013. Firstly, main agents who have dealing with North Korean trade companies which have right to dispatch North Korean workers have been changed from Chinese traders into Korean-Chinese brokers who are specialized in the introduction of North Korean workers with one-stop service from visa administrative to labor managements. Secondly, there has been a transfer of North Korean workers in the regions from formal to informal workers who has been admitted into China with a short stay or a tourist visa, and then remained illegally to be employed in China. Therefore, as demands on service which is able to guarantee the security of North Korean informal workers and their managements have increased, Korean-Chinese brokers have been stimulated in the regions after the operation of real international sanctions against overseas North Korean workers. In addition, the main factors of their locational determinants in cross-border regions between North Korea and China are could be analyzed in three perspectives; 1) an increase in real wages in accordance with the reform of the Chinese social insurance system after 2011, 2) the structural vulnerability of labor markets in the regions, 3) the utilization of stable and manageable workers.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.15-26
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• 2007

Immigrant workers in Korea who have a multi-cultural background are increasing a need is arising to support them with housing that considers their housing culture. The purpose of this study is to gather information to formulate a plan of ChoSun-Tribe Immigrant Workers in Korea. For this purpose, we investigated to the usage of domestic space and the seating style of ChoSun-Tribe members in China and Korea. Ethnographic research with a questionnaire was used to analyze 16 households in China and 17 in Korea. The study results were as follows. 1. Most of the ChoSun-Tribe members in China and Korea thought that the kitchen had to be separated from other areas and also they wanted to have a large kitchen in which they can work comfortably. 2. ChoSun-Tribe members in China used a bathroom as a laundry normally while and ChoSun-Tribe members in China and Korea didn't think that a bathtub was indispensable in the bathroom. 3. The most uncomfortable feature for ChoSun-Tribe members in Korea was having to use a toilet outside so a toilet should be considered inside of the house. 4. ChoSun-Tribe members in China and Korea were accustomed to sitting on the floor for their living usually and ChoSun-Tribe members in China used the living room as a multi-purpose room for the family. 5. A modified Ondol system using water pipes under the floor was gaining popularity in China and was the most desirable heating system for ChoSun-Tribe members in China and Korea also. 6. ChoSun-Tribe members in China and Korea all took off their shoes inside of the house for hygienic reasons so the space for taking on-off shoes was indispensable. 7. Housing for ChoSun-Tribe immigrant workers in Korea needs to be planned with a good environment lots of sunshine and better ventilation.