The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the life of refugees in Korea through qualitative case studies of refugees. As research subjects, this study selected a total of 3 refugees, 2 recognized refugees and 1 humanitarian holder who wer...
The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the life of refugees in Korea through qualitative case studies of refugees. As research subjects, this study selected a total of 3 refugees, 2 recognized refugees and 1 humanitarian holder who were all allowed to continually stay in Korea. Data was collected from the beginning of Oct. to the beginning of Dec. 2015 through series of interviews. The analysis of data involved transcription and extensive review of the recorded interviews. The transcriptions were further coded into four situational contexts capturing the common major experiences of all three subjects. This study also attempted to understand individualized circumstances under the framework of the same four contexts. As a result, this study explored the life of refugees by establishing 4 kinds of situational contexts, ‘My Homeland to Leave behind to Survive’, ‘Can I Stay in Korea in Deed?’, ‘A New Life after My Refugee Status was Determined’ and ‘Our Reaction to Korean People’s Cold Treatment’. Additionally, by examining the similarities and the differences between the three subjects, the study identified five social issues in their lives. Particularly, it analyzed the relationship between the social issues and Korea’s refugee laws.
The summary of the findings are below.
First, the study found that the subjects were active members of their home societies with clear social identities and roles. However, they were forced to relocate due to political persecutions.
Second, the refugee participants experienced sudden departure from their families and they entered Korea through various routes. During the procedures for refugee status determination, they felt difficulties because of Korean officials’ condescending attitudes and negative experiences of being discriminated as refugees. After long waits for the application results, all three participants received impossible or near impossible demands with the rejection letter. With the help of refugee-support NGOs, however, they were able to proceed to the next steps in the application process. All three, eventually, obtained the status of refugee recognition.
Third, the study found that the refugees, after their arrival in Korea, utilized unofficial social networks to obtain necessary life needs. Instead of official government networks, they were sharing much information with one another through other foreign friends, people from the same country and churches. They even obtained emotional support through their communities where they could share the same culture with each other. In the aspect of language and education, they had a desire to learn Korean. It was, however, not their top priority. Instead, the ability to sustain a living through a job was their priority. Therefore, this study found it necessary to provide an environment where they can study Korean while working, and it was also found that they had enthusiasm for their children’s education beside their own education. In the aspect of employment, some were engaged in hard labor work without specific skills, while others were employed by using their job competences. However, most of them were temporary or contract workers, and since the employment agreement was written in Korean, they often failed to understand employment terms properly. Their wages were mostly used for the cost of living. In the aspect of residential environment, they mostly looked for an area where many foreign people lived together. In the aspect of health, they mostly led a healthy life, but when they were sick, they mostly took care of themselves by getting medicines in the pharmacy. In the aspect of mentality, they had a mindset positive enough to cope with any difficulty through their religious faith.
Fourth, while experiencing racially discriminative behaviors from many Koreans, they came to think of Koreans as insular rather than receptive. Furthermore, they think that most Koreans are ill-informed about refugees and they feel the need for a change in perception through proper education. Especially, they emphasize the need to educate the young in preparation for the change in the next generation.
As a result of examining the life of refugees who entered Korea, this study found that they have talents and potentials. The author believes it is necessary to support them in association with the present service delivery systems so that they can lead a new life by using their talents and potentials. Moreover, since refugees’ adaptations to Korea greatly depend on what kind of an attitude Korean people take toward refugees, it is important to understand the life of refugees correctly. In this light, this study proposed that the Korean government should carry out an investigation into the present states of refugees in a national level as the number of refugees has been increasing since 2013 when the Refugee Law was first enacted.
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