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Cultural differences between North and South Korea: What do North Korean refugees live in South Korea?
In recent years, more and more members of South Korean families have not grown up in South Korean culture, including families with non-South Korean members, Korean diaspora and North Korean refugee families.In order to adapt to their life in South Korea, policy adjustments have also begun to be made to provide support.
For South Korea's multicultural family policy, the purpose is to assist families with South Korean nationality, where cultural integration exists, including not only families with international marriages, but also families of foreign workers, families of North Korean refugees and Korean families traveling between China, Russia and other places.
Definition and classification of multicultural families
The definition of multicultural families includes the families of international marriages, families of foreign workers or North Korean refugees, and even families of immigrants who face the challenges of cultural differences.Taking international marriage and family as an example, this refers to a family composed of a Korean nationality and a foreign spouse, while North Korean refugees fled North Korea's new life for various reasons.These people each have a unique cultural background, but they all need to adapt to life in South Korea.
At present, South Korea's multicultural family support policy targets these families formed with foreigners or refugees, helping them to better integrate socially, economically and culturally.
The current situation of North Korean refugees
Northern refugees are often confused by cultural differences between South Korea.The division between North and South Korea led to a completely different lifestyle in the two places, which made North Korean refugees face cultural adaptation challenges in South Korea.In fact, these refugees often encounter unfamiliar language and social customs on the way to find a new life, which greatly affects their cultural identity.
Social Challenges of Multicultural
According to 2015 data, the number of children in multicultural families in South Korea reached 207,693, with more than half of them under the age of six.The integration problem of this generation of young people is particularly urgent, because many parents cannot provide sufficient support for their language and cultural background.
Children from multicultural families face the dilemma of nationality convergence in school education and often need to find a balance between external social pressure and their identity.
These children often experience a sense of cultural fragmentation, causing them to have uncertainty in different aspects such as language and culture.The local education system is working to adapt to this change, but it still faces targeted challenges.
Support policies under the legal framework
The Multicultural Family Support Act established by South Korea in 2008 provides basic legal frameworks and guiding principles for these families. However, with the surge in foreign families, these laws and policies still need to be adjusted and improved.
In 2016, the life cycle of children in multicultural families was adjusted specifically to ensure that they can adapt better in educational and social settings.
The impact of economic and social structure
Although South Korea's multicultural family numbers continue to grow, the effectiveness of various support policies is still facing challenges due to social discrimination and economic inequality.In the actual employment market, the employment rate of children from multicultural families is obviously lower than that of other groups, and they encounter greater obstacles when looking for a job.In addition, these children also face discrimination and exclusion, which further exacerbates their estrangement from local society.
Cultural Challenges and Support
Ultimately, cultural identity has become a major challenge for multicultural families.Over time, more and more local governments have begun to set up various support agencies aimed at helping children from multicultural families return to their self-identity.These institutions help them find a balance between different cultures through various activities.
Although the government and society support for multicultural families has increased, the problem still exists, which makes people wonder whether true integration can be achieved in such a society?
