ABSTRACT
More than half a million foreigners reportedly resided in South Korea in 2006, with international migrant workers accounting for a majority. Although the country’s reliance on imported foreign labour is likely to continue unabated, the country prides itself as being an ethnically homogenous society and insists on an almost zero-immigration policy. However, this paper argues that Korean society is rapidly becoming a multicultural society and that this process is inevitable and irreversible. In support of this argument, the paper examines various social factors that are contributing to the making of a multi-ethnic Korea, including the continuing influx of foreign workers, rapid ageing of the population, low fertility rate and shortage of brides. The paper also assesses the applicability of various theories and trends of migration to the Korean context. The Korean case affirms the globalization and acceleration of international migration, as practically every society is affected by it and as the number of migrants continues to increase.
