Prime Minister Jeong: "Racial and National Social Conflicts in Various Countries... Social Dignity Revealed in Crisis Situations"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 26th, "Recently, incidents of social conflicts or discrimination related to race and nationality have been occurring frequently in several countries," adding, "In such situations, we must pay more careful attention to ensure that the many efforts our society has made to respect and embrace diversity do not fade away."

At the 18th Multicultural Family Policy Committee held at the Government Seoul Office on the same day, Prime Minister Chung stated, "It is said that the dignity of a society is revealed in times of crisis."

He explained, "The number of members in multicultural families has already exceeded one million, and the proportion of those residing long-term for over 10 years is 61%, meaning they are no longer outsiders but important members of our society."

He continued, "In a situation where global competition intensifies and future uncertainties increase, diversity itself becomes a strength," and evaluated, "The transnational networks and diverse cultural backgrounds unique to multicultural families are a solid potential and source of competitiveness for our society."

However, he mentioned, "Multicultural families are still unable to fully demonstrate their capabilities due to insufficient institutional support systems and limitations in social awareness," adding, "Especially, the recent COVID-19 situation poses an even greater challenge to multicultural families."

Prime Minister Chung emphasized, "As multicultural families enter a stage of settling in domestic residence, a policy shift is needed from focusing on migration adaptation to supporting social achievement," and stated, "The government will provide appropriate educational opportunities for children of multicultural families and further expand vocational training and employment support for marriage immigrants."

He also added, "By providing tailored support considering the needs of multicultural families to help them gain competitiveness, we will offer stepping stones for them to confidently participate as members of our society."

Prime Minister Chung further said, "Addressing the information gap in emergencies such as disasters is also a task the government must strive for," and noted, "In the prolonged COVID-19 situation, we must carefully check whether important daily life information is being fully delivered to multicultural families."

He urged, "Relevant ministries and local governments should continuously monitor to ensure that language barriers and other obstacles do not hinder the prompt delivery of information on the ground."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.