ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the trend and the patterns of Korean migration to the Middle East and assesses the impacts of this migration on the Korean economy. It analyzes the growth of migration to the Middle East in comparison with Korean migration to other areas. A rough evaluation of the economic impacts of Korean migration to the Middle East will be attempted in section three in terms of macro variables as the balance of payments, growth, employment, and inflation. The employment impact of the migration should be most apparent in the construction sector because most of the migrant workers have been employed in construction-related work in Korea. Korean labor migration to the Middle East, which started with the first oil shock, has grown into a very important sector for the Korean economy in less than ten years. On the supply side of Korean migration, there is still a substantial excess supply of workers in most job categories.
