Racism in South Korea
Encyclopedia
Racism in South Korea stems from the common belief that Koreans are a "pure race" that have been homogenous throughout history. For most Koreans, the belief in the superiority and purity of the Korean race goes unquestioned.
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
has reported that racial discrimination is common in Korea, especially against foreigners and mixed-blood children; the concept of "pure blood" is widespread. The Asian charity Pearl S. Buck International reports that racial prejudices in South Korea may be the worst of anywhere in Asia.
Foreigners in Korea have often reported that South Korean schools only hire white English teachers.
Korean police have been known to ignore and mistreat foreign victims of crime, even committing sexual assault. Korean government officials often hang up if they receive a phone call from a foreigner.
Biracial men were banned from serving in the South Korean military until January 2011. Interracial couples have been forced to leave Korea; in an Los Angeles Times
article, one wife reported that "people spat at her because she had been married to an African American." According to Korean Broadcasting System news, it is "rare" for biracial children to successfully graduate Korean high schools. A 2009 poll revealed that 47% of Korean children were uncertain or negative on the subject of whether they could make friends with a biracial child. Racial prejudice is widespread throughout the Korean education system. One newspaper editorial commented, "Until now, we have overly emphasized the significance of our homogeneous society and have had too much pride about our pure blood tradition..".
was denied entry to a public bath house in Busan, South Korea for being a "foreigner" despite showing her South Korean passport and resident registration card. According to the bath house, the denial was based on "Regular patrons' fear of contracting AIDS
". After being denied entry, Goo sought help from local police. However, Goo was told to seek other baths houses since there are no legal basis for prosecuting racial discrimination in South Korean law. After this story caught the national attention in South Korea, many other cases of racial discrimination were reported. Yula Jahng, a naturalized South Korean citizen originally from Philippine, told a reporter from Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
that "Department store associates see our color of face and think that we are poor and tell us to get out no matter what."
was criticized internationally for running an advertisement where a Korean is kidnapped by black cannibals who are satisfied by fried chicken.
A hate group
called Anti-English Spectrum has been widely consulted by Korean newspapers about an alleged spree of foreign crime, which is mostly fabricated. In 2008, Seoul.com issued a press release referring to foreigners as "poisonous mushrooms" and "viruses". In their official apology, the website stated that "our English is much better than [the critics'] Korean" and that "they must learn the Korean culture of statics". In 2009, the Chosun Ilbo, one of Korea's largest newspapers, ran a week-long series of articles alleging foreigners were entering Korea deceptively to ensnare Korean women. Foreigners who complained about the series were caricatured as "indiscriminately pouring out their anger".
Migrant workers in South Korea are treated inhumanely, largely due to the tendency of Koreans to belittle and look down on foreigners residing in South Korea. At times migrant workers are treated with great indignity.
Even researchers and professors from especially other Asian countries are paid significantly less than Koreans. In point and fact, foreign professors are often left out of faculty meetings by deliberately holding the meetings in Korean,. David McNeil in Viet-Studies notes that there is essentially obvious discrimination even against foreign professors.
Race-based discrimination and hate
The United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is a United Nations convention. A second-generation human rights instrument, the Convention commits its members to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races...
has reported that racial discrimination is common in Korea, especially against foreigners and mixed-blood children; the concept of "pure blood" is widespread. The Asian charity Pearl S. Buck International reports that racial prejudices in South Korea may be the worst of anywhere in Asia.
Foreigners in Korea have often reported that South Korean schools only hire white English teachers.
Korean police have been known to ignore and mistreat foreign victims of crime, even committing sexual assault. Korean government officials often hang up if they receive a phone call from a foreigner.
Biracial men were banned from serving in the South Korean military until January 2011. Interracial couples have been forced to leave Korea; in an Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article, one wife reported that "people spat at her because she had been married to an African American." According to Korean Broadcasting System news, it is "rare" for biracial children to successfully graduate Korean high schools. A 2009 poll revealed that 47% of Korean children were uncertain or negative on the subject of whether they could make friends with a biracial child. Racial prejudice is widespread throughout the Korean education system. One newspaper editorial commented, "Until now, we have overly emphasized the significance of our homogeneous society and have had too much pride about our pure blood tradition..".
Bonojit Hussein
On July 2009, Bonojit Hussein, an Indian national who was working as a research professor at Sungkonghoe University was called "Dirty" and "Pitch-black foreigner" by (First name witheld) Park while riding on a bus. Park also questioned Hussein's companion, a South Korean woman whether "she was a real Korean woman" and "how it felt going out with pitch-black foreigner?" Hussein then reported Park to local police. A police officer who arrived on the scene told Hussein that "there's no racial discrimination in Korea". The Policeman also said to Park, "Why did you, a good-looking man dressed in a suit, treated a man who's having a hard life here?" in presence of Hussein. In police station, while policemen talked to Park in formal Korean, Hussein was spoken to in informal Korean. Policemen questioned Hussein, "How can a man born in 1982 become a research professor? Really, what is that you do? After this story was reported on national media, National Human Rights Association gave a warning to the policeman then recommended that the policemen to have human rights education. The case of Hussein was a landmark case as it was the first time the National Human Rights Association ordered 'Recommendation Measure' for a racial discrimination case and led to prosecution for a racial comment for the first time as well.Bath House Case
On October 2011, Soojin Goo, a naturalized South Korean citizen formerly from UzbekistanUzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
was denied entry to a public bath house in Busan, South Korea for being a "foreigner" despite showing her South Korean passport and resident registration card. According to the bath house, the denial was based on "Regular patrons' fear of contracting AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
". After being denied entry, Goo sought help from local police. However, Goo was told to seek other baths houses since there are no legal basis for prosecuting racial discrimination in South Korean law. After this story caught the national attention in South Korea, many other cases of racial discrimination were reported. Yula Jahng, a naturalized South Korean citizen originally from Philippine, told a reporter from Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
that "Department store associates see our color of face and think that we are poor and tell us to get out no matter what."
Racial stereotypes in the media
The Korean branch of KFCKFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
was criticized internationally for running an advertisement where a Korean is kidnapped by black cannibals who are satisfied by fried chicken.
A hate group
Hate group
A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates and practices hatred, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or other designated sector of society...
called Anti-English Spectrum has been widely consulted by Korean newspapers about an alleged spree of foreign crime, which is mostly fabricated. In 2008, Seoul.com issued a press release referring to foreigners as "poisonous mushrooms" and "viruses". In their official apology, the website stated that "our English is much better than [the critics'] Korean" and that "they must learn the Korean culture of statics". In 2009, the Chosun Ilbo, one of Korea's largest newspapers, ran a week-long series of articles alleging foreigners were entering Korea deceptively to ensnare Korean women. Foreigners who complained about the series were caricatured as "indiscriminately pouring out their anger".
Racial supremacism
Professor Park Cheol-Hee of Gyeongin National University of Education pointed out that there were many descriptions in Korean history textbooks regarding other nations as inferior to emphasize the superiority of Korean culture, and Japan is consistently described as culturally inferior.Migrant workers in South Korea are treated inhumanely, largely due to the tendency of Koreans to belittle and look down on foreigners residing in South Korea. At times migrant workers are treated with great indignity.
Even researchers and professors from especially other Asian countries are paid significantly less than Koreans. In point and fact, foreign professors are often left out of faculty meetings by deliberately holding the meetings in Korean,. David McNeil in Viet-Studies notes that there is essentially obvious discrimination even against foreign professors.