ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to analyse dissident voices against legislating an anti-racial discrimination act; and to provide socio-economic contextual backgrounds of Korean society which produce dissident voices. It also briefly explains the notion of multiculturalism, or damunhwa juui, in Korea. Multiculturalism originally was meant to be an ideology that embraces racial and cultural differences, rather than assimilating others into a mainstream culture, thus sharing political and economic opportunities. Damunhwa in the Korean language literally means many cultures. A Korean online petition against anti-racial discrimination legislation that did include comments was conducted from 18 October 2011. The analysis of the comments on the petition shows four major themes of concern: supporting foreign labourers but destroying Koreans; ignorant of the problems of damunhwa; ethnic homogeneity and superiority of Koreans; and criminalisation of foreign labourers. It also provides research findings with reference to these four common themes.
