• Title/Summary/Keyword: the migrants from North Korea

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Politics of Hospitality for Sangsaeng with 'Precariat': With a focus on Problems of North Korean Migrants ('프레카리아트'와의 상생을 위한 환대의 정치 - 탈북민 문제를 중심으로 -)

  • Mo, Chun-heung
    • Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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    • v.33
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    • pp.147-177
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    • 2019
  • This article attempts to examine the fundamental perceptions and attitudes of human beings towards others utilizing the concept of 'precariat,' a new word recently created to designate people affected by the inequality and instability brought about by neoliberal globalization. Especially, the precariats within South Korean society noted in this article will be North Korean migrants. When leaving North Korea, they have entered into South Korean society with hurting bodies and minds as they made their way through China or third party countries. After arriving in South Korea, they face difficulties such as inadequate jobs and low-level welfare benefits. Also, considering the social discrimination, exclusion, and indifference towards North Korean migrants which are commonplace, they come to live their lives as precariats. Given their situation, I would like to seek wisdom for North Korean migrants to apply as they escape from insecure lives, and perhaps Sangsaeng (mutual beneficence) would allow them to do that within South Korean society. In this light, I think that the concept of hospitality and Haewon Sangsaeng (the resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence), a code of practical ethics within the Daesoon Thought, as a basis for discussion with other philosophies that are practical in enabling North Korean migrants and South Korean citizens to coexist within modern day South Korean society. This can be achieved because 'Haewon (grievance-resolution)' lowers the boundary between self and others through sharing, and consequently, daily mutual interactions can unfold as 'Sangsaeng', which stands as a new ethical and practical system of values available to all modern individuals. In fact, contrary to the religious implications of Daesoon Thought, the philosophical and existential significance of Daesoon Thought has not received much attention. However, if we pay attention to the question of why human subjects should be hospitable to others, we can grasp how Daesoon Thought presents values that are existential in nature and also consider the specific context that accompanies the religious aspects of this system of thought.

Korean HIV/AIDS Policy on International Migrants: Comparing with OECD Countries

  • Lee, Jung-Whan;Sohn, Ae-Ree
    • Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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    • v.23 no.5
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    • pp.47-73
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    • 2006
  • Objectives: This study aims to identify gaps between knowledge regarding migration and the spread of HIV/AIDS, to improve understanding of migrants with HIV/AIDS and their human rights, and to make suggestions for Korean policy makers to reform laws and policies towards granting migrants with HIV/AIDS more human rights and access to treatment and care. Methods: This study is based on an extensive literature review, questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews from randomly selected 8 countries from 5 different continents: Japan from Asia; Australia from Oceania; Finland, Germany, Ireland and United Kingdom(UK) from Europe; and Canada and United States of America(USA) in North America. Results: This study has found that Korea has a discriminating policy regarding HIV/AIDS and foreigners. Classifying HIV/AIDS into a legal communicable disease, it requires a presentation of HIV/AIDS test results from foreigners wanting a long-term stay before entering. In principle, foreigners with HIV/AIDS cannot either enter or stay in Korea. If they are known infected with HIV/AIDS by any reason, they became to face an immediate deportation regardless of their sojourn statuses and purposes. Conclusion: With the results, this study suggests three reasons why Korean government needs to change the current HIV/AIDS policy on foreigners: 1) HIV-related travel restrictions have no public health justification, 2) its strict HIV/AIDS policy on foreigners could result in restriction on the mobility and migration of its people by the other countries, inversely, and 3) it needs to meet international guidelines and to observe conventions that international organizations suggest to maintain its status as a member of the international society.

Social Distance and Attitude toward Migrants' Citizenship in Korea (이주자에 대한 사회적 거리와 시민권에 대한 태도)

  • Jo, Dong-Gi
    • Korea journal of population studies
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    • v.33 no.3
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    • pp.53-73
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    • 2010
  • The purpose of this study is to investigate social distance and attitude toward migrants's citizenship in Korea, a society with increasing cultural diversity. Using data from the 'Multiculturalism and Social Integration Survey' conducted by Academy of Korean Studies in 2008, this study analyzes three main issues: social distance between Koreans and foreigners, perception of the bases of national identity, and attitude toward migrants' citizenship and the causal factors of the attitude. The results show that social distances between Koreans and African Blacks/Arabs are significantly larger than those between Koreans and other ethnic or racial groups. But the relatively large social distances between Koreans and South-East Asians/North Korean defectors poses a more serious challenge to Korean society, since South-East Asians and North Korean defectors have comprised ever bigger part of migrants in Korea. The civil element is found to be more important base of national identity than the cultural or the ethnic bases, and there exists a strong negative attitude toward dual nationality. The results of regression analysis suggest that the potential of global citizenship for migrants will be realized by expanding universalism for basic human rights and awareness of the civil base of national identity on the one hand, and by minimizing the strong belief in ethnic homogeneity and the negative attitude toward dual nationality on the other hand.

The Relation between Place and Identity in Korea: A Preliminary Study for the Korean Studies (한국인(韓國人)의 장소(場所)와 정체성(正體性): 한국학(韓國學)을 위한 시론(試論))

  • Ryu, Je-Hun
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.47 no.1
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    • pp.1-12
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    • 2012
  • Based on the study of the lineage groups around Gyeongju City and the migrants from North Korea, it is recognized that any one of Korean group identities has not been naturally formed over a long time, but socially constructed. One of the project for the Korean human geography orienting toward Korean Studies is to examine, from the place perspective, the complicated and contested identities that modern Koreans are today sharing individually as well as in a group. From such an examination. it can explore specifically the future shape of the Korean identity upon which everybody can agree. To make the project successful, Korean Human Geography needs to start from the study of a specific place that would expose the triangular relations among the three elements: identity, place, ideology or power.

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Genetic Variation of Alien Invasive Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) in Korea (붉은토끼풀의 유전적 변이와 집단구조)

  • Huh Man Kyu;Chung Kyung-Tae;Jeong Yong-Kee
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.15 no.2 s.69
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    • pp.273-278
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    • 2005
  • Trifolium pratense (red clover, Fabaceae) is a short-lived herbaceous species and the species is introduced from Europe or North America to Korea approximately 60 years ago. Allozyme variability was examined in populations representing this species. A high level of genetic variation was found in T. pratense populations. Ten of 19 loci $(52.6\%)$ showed detectable polymorphism. Genetic diversity was 0.220. The sexual reproduction, high fecundity, and colonization process are proposed as possible factors contributing to high genetic diversity. Genetic diversity (0.220) was lower than that (0.285) of North American red clover, T. pratense. Korean populations of red clover may be founded by a small sample of larger or moderate populations. An indirect estimate of the number of migrants per generation (Nm = 4.20) indicated that gene flow was extensive among Korean populations of this species.

Migration Pattern of the Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus at Hongdo Island in Korea (전남 홍도를 통과하는 벌매(Pernis ptilorhynchus)의 이동 양상)

  • Choi, Young-Bok;Chae, Hee-Young;Kim, Sung-Hyun
    • Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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    • v.23 no.1
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    • pp.50-55
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    • 2009
  • To understand the status of the migrating Oriental Honey Buzzard(Pernis ptilorhynchus) in Korea, we carried out a preliminary study on the number and local movements of the Honey Buzzard from September 2005 to October 2007 at Hongdo Island, Jeonnam Province, Korea. A total of 702 Honey Buzzards in 2005, 404 individuals in 2006, and 659 individuals in 2007 were recorded during the fall migration season, but during the spring migration season only two and eight birds were observed in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The migrating Honey Buzzard showed peak numbers from 20 September to 5 October at the study site. According to observation of arrival time of538 Honey Buzzard in October 2007, a total of 2l6 birds(40.l %) were passing over Hongdo Island between 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM, rising skyward on columns of warm air. This suggests the use of thermal currents and avoidance of nocturnal movement for crossing water. They preferred moderate winds(<5 m/s in speed) from northwest, but the migrating number apparently decreased in case of strong winds (${\geqq}5 m/s$). This suggests that wind speed and direction are important environmental factors for migration of the Oriental Honey Buzzard. At present, it is unclear which breeding population(from north-eastern China or Japan) passes over Hongdo Island. Moreover, it is difficult to prove migration route and to understand migratory behaviors of the Oriental Honey Buzzard in Korea. To prove the breeding sites and routes of the migrants over the study site, we need more detailed and further studies such as satellite tracking researches.