SOUTH KOREA = MIGRATION IN 2000

South Korea showed the fastest and most remarkable rebound from the crisis. In the year 2000, however, there were some signs of a slowdown. GDP grew at a robust 8.8 percent, lower than the expected rate of 9.5 percent. The decline was due mainly to a slowdown in domestic consumption, particularly in the automobile sector, which was affected by the Daewoo bankruptcy. Exports also declined toward the end of the year; so did foreign investments. Unemployment declined to its lowest in October (3.4 percent), but picked up again toward the end of the year.

The rebound from the crisis led to a new demand for foreign workers. Korea, however, does not have an immigration policy which allows for the employment of unskilled migrants. Foreign workers are admitted as trainees, although many of them later abandon their training site to find jobs as irregular migrants. Overall, the number of foreign residents in Korea increased to 502,591 as of October 2000 (a constant increase from 269,000 in 1995, 315,000 in 1996, 386,000 in 1997, 308,000 in 1998 and 380,000 in 1999). The largest groups of foreign residents were the Chinese (30 percent), the Americans (17 percent), the Japanese (8 percent) and the Taiwanese (5 percent). Workers comprised some 260,000 among the foreign residents, of whom 165,898 were unauthorized migrants as of August 2000. The largest groups were the Chinese (85,429, including Korean-Chinese), Bangla-deshis (13,774), Mongolians (12,155), Filipinos (11,850), Thais (11,309), Pakistanis (5,179) and Uzbeks (4,059). A total of 13,632 people were denied entry in the first eight months of the year on the suspicion they might seek unauthorized employment in the country. Several repatriation programs were conducted in the past, including amnesty from fines provided that irregular migrants returned home. Another such operation was launched in April by the Ministry of Justice, imposing a maximum fine of 10 million won and immediate deportation. This did not apply to workers who had pending cases for overdue wages.

In May the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) conducted a comprehensive review of the immigration program in order to curb irregular migration and to provide better protection to foreign workers. They viewed the current system as embarrassing for the country. After months of consideration, the MDP planned to introduce a work permit system for foreign workers, to replace the current industrial trainee system. Under the new system, a committee was supposed to decide on the size of the foreign work force needed by industries. Migrant workers would be allowed a maximum of three years of legal stay for work. They would enjoy labor rights, such as collective bargaining, and protection under the Labor Standard Law. However, the Korean Federation of Small Businesses (KFSB) and other major economic organizations opposed the reform, claiming it would increase labor costs without increasing productivity and reduce the competitiveness of Korean firms. Unable to muster sufficient support, the bill, which was to enter into force in January 2002, was stalled in November.

In the meantime, conditions for migrant workers improved in some areas. In addition to insurance benefits for any work-related injuries, migrants are entitled to 30 million won for accident-related death and 12.5 million won for death resulting from work-related illness. The Ministry of Health also extended health insurance benefits to trainees. The rate of industrial accidents was on the rise (295 cases in the first six months, compared to 340 for the whole of 1999). The number could be higher considering that many small businesses did not subscribe to the industrial accident insurance scheme. In September the Ministry of Justice announced the launching of a fund to provide emergency medical treatment  to unauthorized migrants.

The issue of Koreans being deported back to North Korea from China continued. These are North Koreans who had defected and intended to go to South Korea, but were in China. Although recognized as refugees by the UNHCR, which offered to resettle them in a third country, China considered them as irregular migrants, and proceeded to deport them. The government of South Korea, on the other hand, did not want to let this issue spoil its relations with Russia and China. Some ethnic Koreans who had remained in the Sakhalin region since the war were allowed by Russia to return. At the same time, the government revised its asylum policy to grant more possibilities for foreigners to apply for refugee status on political and religious grounds. Since it signed the Geneva Convention in 1992 South Korea has not admitted any refugee, prompting UNHCR to ask the government to adopt a more coherent approach.

Koreans in Osaka demanded the right to participate in the election for the governor of that prefecture. They constitute the largest concentration of Koreans in Japan (180,000 out of about 636,000), but their status as permanent residents does not allow them full participation in the local economic and civil life.As to some indicator of emigration trends, the number of Korean students going abroad for their studies has increased by 4 percent in 1999. A total of 11,237 primary, middle and high school students left the country to study abroad. Many of them, particularly  in the elementary schools, do so without the approval of the government.