[Citizen College Season 2] Challenges of Multiculturalism and Acceptance of Refugees

On November 9, 2018, the fourth lecture of “Citizen College Season 2: Complex conflict and reconciliation of Korean Society” was held by the Seongbuk Village Citizenship Education Center and the Korea University Peace and Democracy Institute (PDI). The fourth speaker was Professor Nam-Kook Kim of Korea University.

In this lecture, titled “Challenges of Multiculturalism and Acceptance of Refugees: Is the Border Control of the Nation-State Right?”, the Professor focused on various aspects of the Yemen refugee acceptance and the current situation about the problem. All those who submit the refugee applications are people willing to leave their own country and settle in a new country, whether they are voluntary or otherwise. But the problem is that the countries that they want to go do not easily open their borders. In this regard, laissez-faire does not consider all borders important and generous to refugees as long as they do not infringe upon the others’ rights. In liberalism, too, freedom can be restricted only for the sake of liberty, and restricting the right to free migration in order to promote the economic wealth of others cannot be justified for any reason. Republicans, on the other hand, see that a national state, a dominant political community, can present qualifications to be a citizen to outsiders and can restrict access if they cannot meet them. Through the acceptance of refugees, a multicultural structure is formed within a single country. In the multicultural structure, a hierarchy is formed between a majority and a minority culture, which creates tensions and conflicts between two cultures. That is why many people in the majority have cultural fears about accepting refugees. In conclusion, the Professor suggested the importance of the responsiveness of government, the role of mediation in civil society, and so on, as factors for the development of multiculturalism in Korea. Government and civil society should also work together.  (Summary: Eun-Bi Lee)